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Progress towards analysing transitions between steady states demands improvements in time-resolved imaging, both for fundamental research and for applications in information technology. Transmission electron microscopy is a powerful technique for investigating the atomic structure, chemical composition and electromagnetic properties of materials with high spatial resolution and precision. However, the extraction of information about dynamic processes in the ps time regime is often not possible without extensive modification to the instrument while requiring careful control of the operation conditions to not compromise the beam quality. Here, we avoid these drawbacks by combining a delay line detector with continuous illumination in a transmission electron microscope. We visualize the gyration of a magnetic vortex core in real space and show that magnetization dynamics up to frequencies of 2.3 GHz can be resolved with down to ∼122ps temporal resolution by studying the interaction of an electron beam with a microwave magnetic field. In the future, this approach promises to provide access to resonant dynamics by combining high spatial resolution with sub-ns temporal resolution., Ultramicroscopy, 233

Journal of synchrotron radiation 28(6), 1891 - 1908 (2021). doi:10.1107/S1600577521010511, The small time gaps of synchrotron radiation in conventional multi-bunch mode (100-500 MHz) or laser-based sources with high pulse rate (similar to 80 MHz) are prohibitive for time-of-flight (ToF) based photoelectron spectroscopy. Detectors with time resolution in the 100ps range yield only 20-100 resolved time slices within the small time gap. Here we present two techniques of implementing efficient ToF recording at sources with high repetition rate. A fast electron-optical beam blanking unit with GHz bandwidth, integrated in a photoelectron momentum microscope, allows electron-optical 'pulse-picking' with any desired repetition period. Aberration-free momentum distributions have been recorded at reduced pulse periods of 5 MHz (at MAXII) and 1.25 MHz (at BESSYII). The approach is compared with two alternative solutions: a bandpass pre-filter (here a hemispherical analyzer) or a parasitic four-bunch island-orbit pulse train, coexisting with the multi-bunch pattern on the main orbit. Chopping in the time domain or bandpass pre-selection in the energy domain can both enable efficient ToF spectroscopy and photoelectron momentum microscopy at 100-500 MHz synchrotrons, highly repetitive lasers or cavity-enhanced high-harmonic sources. The high photon flux of a UV-laser (80 MHz, Published by Wiley-Blackwell, [S.l.]

We demonstrate the feasibility of coincidence measurements in a conventional transmission electron microscope, revealing the temporal correlation between electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy events. We make use of a delay line detector with picosecond time resolution attached to a modified EELS spectrometer. We demonstrate that coincidence between both events, related to the excitation and de-excitation of atoms in a crystal, provides added information not present in the individual EELS or EDX spectra. In particular, the method provides EELS with a significantly suppressed or even removed background, overcoming the many difficulties with conventional parametric background fitting as it uses no assumptions on the shape of the background, requires no user input and does not suffer from counting noise originating from the background signal. This is highly attractive, especially when low concentrations of elements need to be detected in a matrix of other elements., Comment: The following article has been submitted to Applied Physics Letters

Scanning electron microscopy with polarization analysis is a powerful lab-based magnetic imaging technique offering simultaneous imaging of multiple magnetization components and a very high spatial resolution. However, one drawback of the technique is the long required acquisition time resulting from the low inherent efficiency of spin detection, which has limited the applicability of the technique to certain quasi-static measurement schemes and materials with high magnetic contrast. Here we demonstrate the ability to improve the signal-to-noise ratio for particular classes of measurements involving periodic excitation of the magnetic structure via the implementation of a digital phase-sensitive detection scheme facilitated by the integration of a time-to-digital converter to the system. The modified setup provides dynamic imaging capabilities using selected time windows and finally full time-resolved imaging with a demonstrated time resolution of better than 2 ns.

The present work enlightens the developments in time- and energy resolved photoemission electron microscopy over the past few years. We describe basic principles of the technique and demonstrate different applications. An energy- and time-filtering photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM) for real-time spectroscopic imaging can be realized either by a retarding field or hemispherical energy analyzer or by using time-of-flight optics with a delay line detector. The latter method has the advantage of no data loss at all as all randomly incoming particles are measured not only by position but also by time. This is of particular interest for pump–probe experiments in the femtosecond and attosecond time scale where space charge processes drastically limit the maximum number of photoemitted electrons per laser pulse. This work focuses particularly on time-of-flight analysis using a novel delay line detector. Time and energy resolved PEEM instruments with delay line detectors enable 4D imaging (x, y, Δt, EKin) on a true counting basis. This allows a broad range of applications from real-time observation of dynamic phenomena at surfaces to fs time-of-flight spectro-microscopy and even aberration correction. By now, these time-of-flight analysis instruments achieve intrinsic time resolutions of 108 ps absolute and 13.5 ps relative. Very high permanent measurement speeds of more than 4 million events per second in random detection regimes have been realized using a standard USB2.0 interface. By means of this performance, the time-resolved PEEM technique enables to display evolutions of spatially resolved (

Using a photoemission electron microscope we determined magnetic stray fields at the edges of permalloy (Ni80Fe20) particles. X-ray magnetic dichroism was used for visualization of magnetic domains. The values of the stray fields were deduced from the deflection of electrons in the image due to the Lorentz force. The stray fields are responsible for the magnetic interaction of adjacent particles with distances much larger than the thickness. The measured magnetic stray field is about 0.023 T for rectangular particles with a thickness of 30 nm and lateral sizes of tens of microns.

The response of multidomain flux-closure structures (Landau states) in micrometer-scale magnetic thin-film elements upon fast magnetic field pulses leads to the excitation of magnetic eigenmodes and to short-lived domain patterns that do not occur in quasi-static remagnetisation. Such transient spatio-temporal patterns and particular detail features are discussed. Examples are presented for permalloy platelets of various shapes and sizes. Dynamic series of domain patterns with variable delay between field pulse and photon pulse (synchrotron radiation) have been taken using stroboscopic XMCD-PEEM. Precessional remagnetisation starts at the domain boundaries. The damped precessional motion propagates into the domains magnetised perpendicular to the field pulse. Further, an apparent dynamical broadening of domain boundaries, the formation of transient vortices and domain walls as well as the fast formation of blocking patterns are discussed. An important feature is the action of the demagnetising field that develops via the damped precessional motion of the magnetisation on the nanosecond time scale. The effective field is constituted by the sum of the instantaneous external pulse field and the delayed response of the demagnetising field.

Extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) at 13.5 nm is the next generation lithography technique capable of printing sub-50 nm structures. With decreasing feature sizes to be printed, the requirements for the lithography mask also become more stringent in terms of defect sizes and densities that are still acceptable and the development of lithography optics has to go along with the development of new mask defect inspection techniques that are fast and offer high resolution (preferable in the range of the minimum feature size) at the same time. We report on the development and experimental results of a new 'at wavelength' full-field imaging technique for defect inspection of multilayer mask blanks for EUV lithography. Our approach uses a photoemission electron microscope (PEEM) in a normal incidence illumination mode at 13 nm to image the photoelectron emission induced by the EUV wave field on the multilayer mask blank surface. We show that by these means, buried defects in the multilayer stack can be probed down to a lateral size of 50 nm, which was the smallest pre-defined structure size under study so far. The PEEMs spatial resolution has been proven to be as small as 29 nm edge slope width in measurements with 250 nm radiation. Therefore, the capability of this technique for actinic measurements at 13 nm radiation is anticipated to be well below 50 nm. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

We report morphologic changes of metallic surfaces at the onset of ablation, starting from gentle ablation to the emergence of ablation craters. The evolution of both observed melting zones and of ablation craters therein are investigated in dependence of the ablation laser fluence for nanosecond ultraviolet laser pulses. Further, consequences of crater formation for cluster synthesis within the released atomic vapor are pointed out.

Photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM) was exploited to observe the dynamics in local field distributions on microstrip-line devices with a best time resolution of 133 ps. A delayline detector system served as imaging unit capable of a time resolving data acquisition and processing. The setup can be operated at the resolution limit of the PEEM of about 20 nm while a continuously illuminating UV-lamp excites the photoelectrons in threshold photoemission. A pulsed photon source is not needed to obtain time resolved images, the time reference of the data acquisition was taken by a periodic signal (clock, here typ. 100 MHz) in phase with the pulse pattern applied to the microstrip-line device. Ultra-short current pulses passing the microstrip-line are associated with local changes of the magnetic field at the device surface and with a fast propagation of the electrical potential as well. The photoelectron imaging is immediately responding to small local field distortions due to the small kinetic energy of the electrons escaping from the surface. Thus, local field distortions can be detected as temporal changes between the 133 ps wide image-slices which are sorted by time in reference to the clock signal.

Fast magnetization processes in a microstructured permalloy ring with 80 µm o.d. and 30 nm thickness have been observed by photoemission electron microscopy exploiting x-ray magnetic circular dichroism as the magnetic contrast mechanism. As a high speed probe we employed synchrotron radiation pulses at the ESRF (Grenoble) operated in 16-bunch mode, yielding photon pulses of 105 ps FWHM with a period of 176 ns. Fast magnetic field pulses have been generated by means of current pulses through coplanar waveguides with the magnetic structure being lithographically prepared on their surface. A stroboscopic pump–probe set-up with a variable time delay between the field pulse and photon pulse allowed us to take snapshots of the dynamic response of the magnetic domain structure. We observed coherent magnetization rotation during the leading edge part of the field pulse, the formation of a characteristic domain pattern ('onion state') in the plateau region of the pulse and the fast formation of a striped domain pattern (incoherent magnetization rotation) during the trailing edge part of the field pulse. A numerical simulation confirmed essential features of the stroboscopic image series.

Photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM) is widely used in combination with synchrotron sources as a powerful tool to observe chemical and magnetic properties of metal and semiconductor surfaces. Presently, the resolution limit of these instruments using soft-X-ray excitation is limited to about 50 nm, because of the chromatic aberation of the electron optics used. Various sophisticated approaches have thus been reported for enhancing the spatial resolution in photoemission electron microscopy. This work demonstrates the use of a simple imaging energy filter based on electron time-of-flight (ToF) selection. The spatial resolution could be improved dramatically, even though the instrument was optimized using a rather large contrast aperture of 50 μm. A special ( x , y , t )-resolving delayline detector was used as the imaging unit of this ToF-PEEM. It is operated in phase with the time structure of the synchrotron source, cutting time intervals from the raw image-forming data set in order to reduce the electron energy width contributing to the final images.

Owing to its parallel image acquisition, photoemission electron microscopy is well suited for real-time observation of fast processes on surfaces. Pulsed excitation sources like synchrotron radiation or lasers, fast electric pulsers for the study of magnetic switching, and/or time-resolved detection can be utilised. A standard approach also being used in light optical imaging is stroboscopic illumination of a periodic (or quasi-periodic) process. Using this technique, the time dependence of the magnetic field in a pulsed microstrip line has been imaged in real time exploiting Lorentz-type contrast. Similarly, the corresponding field-induced changes in the magnetisation of cobalt microstructures deposited on the microstrip line have been observed exploiting magnetic X-ray circular dichroism as a contrast mechanism. The experiment has been performed at the UE 56/1-PGM at BESSY II (Berlin) in the single-bunch mode.

It is shown that magnetic X-ray circular dichroism (MXCD) can be exploited in photoemission electron microscopy not only to visualize the domain structure of ferromagnets, but also to perform quantitative measurements of the stray magnetic fields at the domain boundaries. In the general situation, two MXCD images obtained at different extractor voltages are required. In specific cases, however, it suffices to consider a single image, if it is deformed by the stray magnetic fields compared to a known object geometry. The object geometry means its real shape, scratches or other defects. It is also possible to deposit a paramagnetic film structured in the form of stripes or a grid as a reference on the ferromagnetic sample being investigated.

A new approach for investigations of circular dichroism in the angular distribution of photoelectrons (CDAD) is presented. The image contrast using a photoemission line of a certain material is combined with imaging of the angular distribution pattern using a photoemission electron microscope (PEEM). CDAD can be used to investigate pure scattering information by means of the same instrument in microscopically selected regions on a surface. The experiment combines angle-resolved XPS imaging with the indirect mapping of the local environment of atoms by means of CDAD holography. In a conventional photoelectron diffraction or photoelectron holography experiment, it is necessary to move the sample and/or the detector; for example, a rotatable electron analyzer is used to map a full angular pattern. In the present approach, the diffraction plane is mapped for a certain kinetic energy of electrons in the backfocal plane. An imaging high-pass energy filter has been used in combination with the PEEM in order to acquire surface images and/or diffraction pattern maps. Direct photoemission from the W-4f core levels was observed at different photon polarization to obtain two images and two diffraction patterns of the W-4f emission line using light of opposite helicity. The agreement of calculations with the experimental result is satisfactory. This constitutes a very encouraging starting point for the use of the CDAD holography together with the PEEM technique providing mesoscopic and atomic as well as chemical resolution in microselected areas on solid surfaces.

A method for microspectroscopy and energy-selective imaging using a special photoemission electron microscope (PEEM) is presented. A modified commercial PEEM was combined with a delay line device as x, y, t detector serving as the basic arrangement for spectromicroscopy. One can measure the time of flight of the electrons passing a drift section in order to analyze the energy distribution of photoelectrons in PEEM. The time of flight is referenced to the time structure of the synchrotron radiation from an electron storage ring. At electron kinetic energies of less than 20 eV within the drift region a spatial resolution of about 100 nm has been obtained. Fast counting electronics (instead of a camera) delivers an image for real-time monitoring on an oscilloscope screen or for image acquisition by a computer. A time resolution of about 500 ps has been obtained with the potential of further improvement. The spatial resolution of the delay line detector is about 50 μm in the image plane corresponding to 1000 ...

The magnetic microstructure and magnetic coupling phenomena in thin-film systems, relevant for applications in magneto-electronics, are investigated by means of photoemission electron microscopy. Element-selective magnetic information is obtained by exploiting magnetic circular dichroism in the soft X-ray regime. The domain shape and sizes found at the surface of antiferromagnetically coupled metallic multilayers indicate the presence of a ferromagnetic coupling contribution, presumably caused by a build-up of roughness during the growth process. The magnetic domain patterns in FeNi microstructures on sputtered NiO films reflect the presence of a local exchange anisotropy, causing the phenomenon of exchange biasing or pinning of the ferromagnetic layer.

The time structure of synchrotron radiation at BESSY I (Berlin) was utilised to operate a photoemission electron microscope in the time-of-flight mode. The electrons that are emitted from the sample surface with different energies are dispersed in a drift tube subsequent to the imaging optics. Two ways of fast image detection have been explored, a fast gated intensified CCD camera (800 ps gate time) and a special counting electronics in combination with a 3D (x,y,t)-resolving delay line detector ( time resolution ps). The latter device has a lateral resolution of about 50 μm in the image plane being equivalent to 1000 pixels along the image diagonal. An energy resolution of 400 meV has been achieved. The future potential of time-resolving photoemission microscopy is discussed.

The use of an imaging retarding field analyser attached to the FOCUS IS-PEEM is described. This kind of energy filter is a simple, powerful tool to obtain microspectra from areas of down to about 1 μm using (V)UV and X-ray excitation sources. First results of microspectroscopy measured by excitation with a laboratory as well as a synchrotron X-ray source are presented.

The dichroic effects of photoemission excited by polarised light depend on the angle of photon incidence. Measurements of the difference in the angle-resolved photoemission intensities from Cs 5p semi-corelevels excited by photons of opposite helicity, or of orthogonal linear polarisation are reported. It was thought that the dependence of dichroism on the angle of incidence cannot be described using equations omitting metal optics. A complete consideration of the vector potential of the exciting light is needed, including the phase shift between it's parallel and perpendicular components. The phase shift is produced by the complex index of refraction. Using the Fresnel equations for structureless media, one finds that the second and the third components of the Stokes vector both change their sign, if only the initial helicity or linear polarisation are reversed. The complex index of refraction of a Cs-covered W(110) surface is determined from measurements using the quantitative knowledge of the dichroism effects, that is, CDAD and LDAD.

We report on the dependence of dichroic photoemission excited by polarised light on the angle of photon incidence. We measured the difference in the angle-resolved photoemission intensities from Cs-5p semi-corelevels excited by photons of opposite helicity, known as CDAD and of orthogonal linear polarisation—LDAD. We found that the dependence of dichroism on the angle of incidence can not be described by the equations used in the photoemission model for free atomic states. A complex consideration of the parallel and perpendicular components of the vector potential of the exciting light is needed, including the phase shift between these components. The phase shift is produced by the complex index of refraction. Using the Fresnel-equations for structureless media, one finds that in CDAD measurements not only the third component of the Stokes vector is responsible for the differences in the excitation process, but also the second component and vice versa for LDAD. Both Stokes components change the sign if the initial helicity or linear polarisation is reversed resulting in an additional dichroism just of the other kind.

We present results of a direct imaging approach to visualize the dynamics of magnetic domains on the nanosecond scale. The experiments are carried out by means of an x-ray photoemission electron microscope (X-PEEM) in a stroboscopic mode and exploit the intrinsic time structure of the synchrotron radiation delivered by the storage ring facility ESRF (Grenoble). In this way we combine the high lateral resolution of a PEEM with a subnanosecond time resolution.

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM), which employs standing wave field illumination of a sample, is a potential tool for at-wavelength inspection of phase defects on extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) mask blank. In this paper, we will demonstrate that the contrast of an underneath multilayer programmed defect in EUV-PEEM image is strongly dependent on the inspection wavelength. The observed contrast variation at different inspection wavelengths is in good agreement with the simulation result of a standing wave field on surface of multilayer stack in the mask blank sample. We also observed some native defects on the programmed defect sample, and found that some of them reverse their contrast with varying inspection wavelengths while others do not. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

We report on recent developments of an "at wavelength" full-field imaging technique for defect inspection of multilayer mask blanks for extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL). Our approach uses photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM) in a near normal incidence mode at 13.5 nut wavelength to image the photoemission induced by the EUV wave field on the multilayer blank surface. We analyze buried defects on Mo/Si multilayer samples down to a lateral size of 50 nm and report on first, results obtained from a six inches mask blank prototype as prerequisite for industrial usage. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A new method for the actinic at-wavelength inspection of defects inside and ontop of Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUVL) multilayer-coated mask blanks is presented. The experimental technique is based on PhotoElectron Emission Microscopy (PEEM) supported by the generation of a standing wave field inside and above the multilayer mask blank when illuminated near the resonance Bragg wavelength at around 13.5 nm wavelength. Experimental results on programmed defect samples based on e-beam lithographic structures or PSL equivalent silica balls overcoated with an EUV multilayer show that buried defects scaling down to 50 nm in lateral size are detectable with further scalability down to 30 nm and smaller due to the PEEM's instrumental performance. Furthermore, phase structures as shallow as 6 nm in height on a programmed phase grating sample has been detected by this technique. The visibility of the phase defect structures has been shown to be strongly dependent on and controlled by the phase of the standing wave field at the mask blank surface and thus can be optimized by tuning the illumination wavelength between 12.5 nm and 13.8 nm.

We report on the development and first experimental results of a "at wavelength" full-field imaging technique for defect inspection of multilayer mask blanks for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. According to the International Semiconductor Roadmap by Sematech, less than 5x10(-3) defects per cm(2) should be present on such multilayer mask blank to enable mass production of microelectronics using EUV lithography, thus fast high-resolution methods for mask defect inspection and localization are needed. Our approach uses a photoemission electron microscope in a normal incidence illumination mode at 13 nm to image the photoelectron emission induced by the EUV wave field on the multilayer mask blank surface. We show that by these means, buried defects in the multilayer stack can be probed down to a lateral size of 50 nm. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.

A new method for the actinic inspection of defects inside and on top of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography multi layer-coated mask blanks is presented. The experimental technique is based on photoemission electron microscopy supported by the generation of a standing wave field inside and above the multilayer mask blank when illuminated near the resonance Bragg wavelength at around 13.5 nm. Experimental results on programed defect samples based on electron beam lithographic structures or silica balls overcoated with an EUV multilayer show that buried defects with a lateral size down to 50 nm are detectable. Furthermore, phase structures as shallow as 6 nm in height on a programed phase grating sample have been detected by this technique. The contrast of the phase defect structures has shown to be strongly dependent on and controlled by the phase of the standing wave field at the mask blank surface, and thus can be optimized by tuning the inspection wavelength. (c) 2006 American Vacuum Society.

We report on a type of surface structuring after short pulse laser ablation of a binary alloy. We observe the emergence of a concentric ring structure with changing elemental composition. The composition changes are interpreted by condensation of the ambient ablation vapor due to stress wave excitations in the ablation spot.

We report on the imaging of plasmonic structures by time-of-flight-photoemission electron microscopy (ToF-PEEM) in combination with extreme ultraviolet (XUV) attosecond pulses from a high harmonic generation source. Characterization of lithographically fabricated Au structures using these ultrashort XUV pulses by ToF-PEEM shows a spatial resolution of ∼200 nm. Energy-filtered imaging of the secondary electrons resulting in reduced chromatic aberrations as well as microspectroscopic identification of core and valence band electronic states have been successfully proven. We also find that the fast valence band electrons are not influenced by space charge effects, which is essentially important for attosecond nanoplasmonic-field microscopy realization.

The spin-resolved electronic structure of buried magnetic layers is studied by hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) using a spin polarimeter in combination with a high-energy hemispherical electron analyzer at the high-brilliance BL47XU beamline (SPring-8, Japan). Spin-resolved photoelectron spectra are analyzed in comparison with the results of magnetic linear and circular dichroism in photoelectron emission in the case of buried Co2FeAl0.5Si0.5 layers. The relatively large inelastic mean free path (up to 20 nm) of fast photoelectrons enables us to extend the HAXPES technique with electron-spin polarimetry and to develop spin analysis techniques for buried magnetic multilayers and interfaces.

Two novel methods of spectroscopic surface imaging are discussed, both based on photoemission electron microscopy PEEM. They are characterised by a simple electron-optical set up retaining a linear column. An imaging high-pass energy filter has been developed on the basis of lithographically-fabricated microgrids. Owing to a mesh size of only 7μm, no image distortions occur. The present energy resolution is 70 meV. The second approach employs time-of-flight energy dispersion and time-resolved detection using a Delayline Detector. In this case, the drift energy and the time resolution of the detector determine the energy resolution. The present time resolution is 180 ps, giving rise to an energy resolution in the 100 meV range.

We present a new method for momentum-selective imaging by means of a time-of-flight (TOF) technique. The instrument employs a time- and space-resolving delayline detector in combination with a parabolic electrostatic field and a drift space. We use this kind of spectrometer, to raise the efficiency of experiments, which are total momentum resolved. The main difference to conventional photoemission experiments using a rotatable spectrometer is the simultaneous detection of all emitted photoelectrons. In addition to this feature, the angular distribution should be directly visible, to observe solid state symmetries. In order to facilitate these requirements, we use a delayline detector as a position and time sensitive device with a versatile user interface. First results obtained at BESSY I are presented.