Development of small sized FE-SEM equipped with a carbon nanotube field emitter

Compact field emission (FE) scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with a multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) emitter has been experimentally manufactured. An electrostatic extraction and focusing lens designated to the CNT field emitter was designed. Electron emission from a MWCNT was stable under a vacuum of 10
^-7
Pa even without a stabilization resistance. The maximum acceleration voltage was 17 kV, and a beam current on the order of 20 nA was obtained. SEM images obtained showed a resolution of 20-30 nm.