TEM sample preparation on photoresist

In the last years the coming of the 193 nm lithography requested to the characterization technique a continuous improvement. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), with Atomic force microscopy (AFM), remained the main techniques for the photoresist characterization, but the energy of the electron beam has drastically dropped down. In fact the materials used in the 193 nm lithography are easily modified by the electron beam if the energy is higher then 1 kV.