Abstract
Electron tomography includes four main steps: tomography data acquisition, image processing, 3D reconstruction, and visualization. After acquisition, tilt-series alignments are performed. Two methods are used to align the tilt-series: cross-correlation and feature tracking. Normally, about 10-20 nm of fiducial markers, such as gold beads, are deposited onto one side of 100 mesh carbon-coated grids during the feature-tracking process. This paper presents a novel method for preparing electron tomography samples with gold beads inside to improve the feature tracking process and quality of 3D reconstruction. Results show that the novel electron tomography sample preparation method improves image alignment, which is essential for successful tomography in many contemporary semiconductor device structures.
