Abstract
A scanning electron microscope (SEM), in an oxygen environment, was set‐up to study the charging phenomena and charge compensation of oxides. Under an O2 pressure between 2.9 × 10−3 and 2 × 10−2 Pa, the charging of an amorphous SiO2 with Cu stripes and a polycrystalline Al2O3 were reduced. The charging effect and charge compensation of oxides may be due to the formation of surface anion vacancies under primary electron bombardment and the replenishment of oxygen ions under an oxygen atmosphere. The Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) of Al2O3 proved that the charging effect of the Al2O3 was completely compensated in the environment of O2 at pressures down to 5 × 10−6 Pa.
Acknowledgment
The financial support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 60171024) is gratefully acknowledged.