A technique has been developed to provide real-time imaging, with
several nanometer resolution, of organometallic chemical vapor deposition
(CVD) by scanning electron microscopy under conditions approaching those
used in the microelectronics industry. The technique involves
modifications to an environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) to
facilitate organometallic precursor gas handling and sample heating. To
demonstrate the usefulness of this technique for studying the
microstructural evolution of CVD-grown metal films, results of
Al/SiO2 CVD experiments are presented.
