| abstract |
The present invention provides a highly sensitive, thin detector useful for observing low-voltage, high-resolution SEM images, and provides a charged particle beam application apparatus based on such a detector. The charged particle beam application apparatus includes a charged particle irradiation source, a charged particle optics for irradiating a sample with a charged particle beam emitted from the charged particle irradiation source, and an electron detection section for detecting electrons that are secondarily generated from the sample. The electron detection section includes a diode device that is a combination of a phosphor layer, which converts the electrons to an optical signal, and a device for converting the optical signal to electrons and subjecting the electrons to avalanche multiplication, or includes a diode device having an electron absorption region that is composed of at least a wide-gap semiconductor substrate with a bandgap greater than 2 eV. |