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EM-Tec Checkerboard Calibration Standard for SEM imaging

The EM-Tec Checkerboard calibration standard has been developed for quick and easy magnification and image calibration of SEMs and compact SEMs. It consists of over 1.6 million squares which form four stages of checkerboard patterns. The smallest checkerboard is 10 x 10um. These smallest checkerboards then in turn form a pattern of 100 x 100um and these again form checkerboards of 1 x 1 mm. The 1 x 1mm checkerboards then form a 5 x 5 mm pattern.
The smallest 1 x 1 um squares are made with 20nm thick chromium and 40nm gold on the chromium, deposited on an ultra-flat conductive boron-doped <100> silicon substrate. These materials are deemed inert under normal working conditions. Imaging contrast is good for both SE and BSE imaging, especially at lower keV. The EM-Tec Checkerboard calibration sample is suitable for SEM magnification calibration in the range of 20x to 50,000x with a pitch accuracy of ± 0.1% in both X and Y direction. It is also useful for checking of image distortions and accuracy of (motorized) SEM stages.
The EM-Tec Checkerboard calibration standard is NIST traceable. An example of wafer-level certificate of traceability is supplied with each EM-Tec Checkerboard calibration standard.

Features of EM-Tec Checkerboard calibration standards

  • Quick and easy magnification calibration and image check
  • Feature sizes: 1mm, 100um, 10um and 1 um
  • Pitch accuracy: ± 0.1% in X and Y directions
  • Ideal for SEMs and compact SEMs
  • Excellent contrast with SE and BSE, also at lower KeV
  • NIST traceable
  • Large 5 x 5mm checkerboard
  • Die size is 6 x 6mm with a thickness of 675um
  • Substrate B-doped <100> silicon with 5-10 ohm-cm resistivity
  • Pattern made with 40nm gold over 20nm thick chromium
  • Long life construction with virtually inert materials

The EM-Tec EDX-Checkerboard calibration standard is available unmounted and mounted on popular SEM stubs.

Bright Cr-squares of the 1um checker-board pattern in SE-image

Line profile of SE signal intensity showing clear sharp edges of the 1 um squares

Ordering information: