Interactions of low-energy coherent electron beams with nano-scale objects: a study by Fresnel projection microscopy

Nanotips are coherent e-beam field emission sources. In a projection microscope the nanotips are point sources which allow the formation of Fresnel projection images with high resolution (<1 nm) at low energy (100–300 eV). Amplitude objects, such as polymer fibres of few nanometers in diameter, or phase objects, such as electrostatic or magnetic fields created by nanofibres and particles, are experimentally observed with the Fresnel projection microscope with spatial resolution better than 1 nm. Analysis of the experimental images are presented and discussed.