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WinDISS
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| The active PC based Digital Image Scanning
System can be connected to any Scanning Electron Microscope, Transmission
Electron Microscope, Electron Microprobe,Ultra High Vacuum Electron Gun and
Ion Probe of the various manufacturers. All functions of the
electron-optical devices remain available. During the digital image
acquisition the WinDISS plugin card switches the microscope to external beam
control (the internal scanning generator is switched off and the beam
control is taken over from WinDISS). The external beam control generates X
and Y scanning voltages for every image position, digitizes the analog image
video signals (up to 4 channels) and counts the x-ray pulses from an EDX
system for mappings simultaneously (up to 9 hardware channels and up to 64
software channels). The application of a fast 16 bit micro processor on a PC
plugin card and extensive software options allows many combinations by
choosing signal sources, scanning modes, scanning velocities, video
resolutions and video formats.The digitized images can be edited, measured,
printed and saved. A layout technique helps managing images which belong
together (like mappings) or by preparing print exemplars.
Fig. 1 Cross section picture taken from an IC with an "old" Philips 501
SEM (W- electron source)
@ 50,000X Magnification and WinDISS Digital System at El-Sol Laboratories,
Natanya, Israel.
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System Overview
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| SEM PC plug-in card |
high performance A/D, D/A board with 16 bit, 20
MHz micro processor and8k x 16 byte FIFO buffering
- communication between PC and micro processor via
1k x 8 static DPRAM
- 16 bit bus for fast video data transfer
- PC interrupt on half filled data buffers
- RS232 interface
- expansion port for user specific applications
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Signal inputs for analog video signals
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4 difference inputs, 2 x fast scan and slow scan,
2 x slow scan
- gain and offset adjustable for every channel
separately
integrators (triggerd with pixel clock) for better
signal-to-noise ratio
- integration time per pixel in slow scan mode
adjustable from 5 micro-sec up to 1 ms
- 2 x 12 bit A/D converter with 1.6 micro-sec
converting time
- +/- 1 LSB total error at measurements in slow
scan mode with integrators
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Analog outputs for external beam control
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2 x 12 bit D/A converter with 1.5 micro-sec
converting time gain, offset and polarity adjustable for every channel
separately
- two additional D/A converters available as an
option
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Counter inputs for mapping and special
applications
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9 x 16 bit counters with max. 20 MHz counting
frequency, TTL inputs
- quarz precise gate times from 3 micro-sec to 10
s
- 4 x 16 bit counter board with max. 100 MHz
counting frequency; own time base for special applications, triggered with
pixel clock (option)
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Digital in- and outputs
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External beam control
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variable scanning resolution and video formats up
to 4096 x 4096 pixels, free configurable
- horizontal line scan
- point measurement: electron beam free
positionalble
extended point measurement (option): beam positions
can be set up free, along a line or within a selectable image range
(automatic quantitative point mesurement)
- video frequency in fast scan mode: 5 frames per
second (video size 320 x 240 pixels)
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Digitalization of the video signals
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fast scan with max. 2 analog
signals simultaneous, converting tome 1.6 micro-sec per pixel, 12 bit
resolution
- slow scan with up to 4 analog
signals simultaneous, integration time from 5 micro-sec to1 ms, 12 bit
resolution
- mappings with up to 9 elements
simultaneous, measurement time from 3 micro-sec to 10 s per pixel, 16 bit
resolution, mapping via DDE interface with up to 64 elements
- impulse inputs for mappings with analog inputs
free combinable
- improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio by
frame averaging, signal integration on every pixel (triggered with pixel
clock) and accumulation
- brightness, contrast and color palette
presetable for every image, automatic brightness and contrast adjustment
during image acquisition possible
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Comment, SEM parameters
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- input of an image comment or selection from an
history list during the image acquistion possible
- automatic labelling of mappings via DDE
- SEM parameters receivable via RS232 interface or
special micro controller interface (option)
- manual input of SEM parameters
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Special image acquisition functions
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profile measurements simultaneous
for all available video signals, measurement line vertical positionalbe on
a recorded image, various view options, profile display as seperate
diagrams, automatic scaling, preserve of the raw data (12 bit with analog
signals, 16 bit with impulse inputs), data export to ASCII or EXCEL file
possible
- adjust scan for optimal focus
adjustment and astigmatism correction, also at lowest beam current; on an
acquired image a region window with live video display is positionable;
live hardware zoom; frame averaging with selectable filter level; variable
window size
- recording of video streams and
saving as AVI file (option); the image acquisition runs continuously in
fast or slow scan mode with the set-up record parameters; recorded
sequences are displayable with associated measurement parameters in slow
or fast motion; interesting frames are extractable as single image
- recording of standard video signals
(CCD camera, in color or B/W) with a framegrabber board; live display,
frame averaging (option)
- recording of non-standard video signals
(in color or B/W with up to 4000 x 4000 pixels) (option)
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Image processing functions
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changing of brightness, contrast and color tables
(false color display), histogram equalization
- matrix filter funktions (up to 7 x 7) by local
operators for smoothing or sharpening of images or emphasize edges
- invert, add or subtract images (for example SE +
BS or BS + mapping or SE +BSD +EBIC)
- false color display and merging of mappings
- zoom funktion
- measurement of objects in X, Y and any desired
direction, calibration is done by SEM magnification and an internal
calibration constant, calibration is saved together with the image data
- measurement of angleand radii
- image labelling (positionable): results of
measurement function or any other text
- image caption with comment, SEM parameters and
micron bar
- image output on all by the operating system
supported printers
- buildup of print layouts from various images
(also with zoom for detail view)
- line profile data of images are displayed as
separate diagram, the data are saved together with the image and can be
exported to an ASCII or EXCEL file
- images with quantitative EDX analysis results:
alle analysis results are shown in a table and saved together with the
image; the point related correlation of measurement result and image
position is achieved by measurement point indices; table with analysis
results can be saved is separately
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Saving and loading of images and layouts
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supported image formats: BMP, TIFF (8 bit, 16
bit), JPEG (only export)
- in 8 bit TIF format, images and layouts are
saved with all additional information; after loading a previous saved
layout, each contained image can still be edited separately
- in 16 bit TIF format the raw data of the image
acquisition can be saved
- image preview
- Image Browser for easy image/layout management
with display of image comment and SEM parameters
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Supply, installation
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- PC plug-in card, cable set (SEM specific), CD with software, handbook,
additional software licenses, PC hardware, print hardware
- installation at the SEM (EDX/WDX), network connection, briefing
- optimization of WinDISS for special applications
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