Scanning Electron Microscopy with Polarization Analysis (SEMPA)

Published

January 1, 1997

Author(s)

John Unguris, M Scheinfein, Michael H. Kelley, A Gavrin, Robert Celotta, Daniel T. Pierce

Abstract

Scanning Electron Microscopy with Polarization Analysis (SEMPA) is a technique for the high spatial resolution imaging of magnetic microstructure. It employs a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to create a finely focused electron beam on the surface of a ferromagnet; secondary electrons excited by the incident beam retain their spin-polarization when exiting the surface. A two dimensional map of the electron spinpolarization of these secondary electrons reveals the surface magnetization distribution for ferromagnetic (or ferrimagnetic) systems. This chapter describes salient features of the electron probe forming optics, the electron spin-polarization analyzers with associated transport optics, and the signal processing electronics. We also give examples illustrating how SEMPA provides high resolution magnetization images of various classes of micromagnetic structure.

Citation

Handbook of microscopy : applications in materials science, solid-state physics, and chemistry

Publisher Info

Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, DE

Pub Type

Book Chapters

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Keywords

None

Citation

Unguris, J. , Scheinfein, M. , Kelley, M. , Gavrin, A. , Celotta, R. and Pierce, D. (1997), Scanning Electron Microscopy with Polarization Analysis (SEMPA), Handbook of microscopy : applications in materials science, solid-state physics, and chemistry, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, DE, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=620471 (Accessed January 3, 2025)