CHARACTERIZATION OF SURFACE-TOPOGRAPHY BY SEM AND SFM - PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

An overview is given of the application of scanning electron microscop y (SEM) and scanning force microscopy (SFM) to the characterization of surface topography. The potential 'blindness' of SEM to surface topog raphical variations, and the contribution of tip-sample convolution to the measurement process, which can result in the misinterpretation of SFM data, are reviewed. The experimental characterization of differen t materials by SEM, employing high- and low-energetic primary electron s, and by SFM (including parallel studies of the same regions) allowed direct comparison of SEM and SFM data and permitted the direct estima tion of the surface sensitivity of SEM relative to SFM. Further progre ss, including combining SFM and SEM in one instrument, is discussed.