Microassembled MEMS Minisem with Carbon Nanotube Emitter

We report the design, modeling, assembly, and test results of a novel MEMS-based miniature Scanning Electron Microscope (miniSEM) that uses a multiwall carbon nanotube (MWNT) electron emitter. The miniSEM is designed to achieve 10-20 nm resolution with e-beam energy of 1 keV at currents of up to 1 nA and a 100 iim field of view (FOV). The microcolumn of the miniSEM is fabricated using a single layer SOI (Silicon on Insulator) wafer using MEMS microassembly. A thermosonic flip chip bonding process is used to package the microcolumn substrate to achieve voltages in excess of ± kV.