Conducting polyaniline: Removable SEM discharge layer

In this paper we describe a novel method of eliminating charging during the high resolution SEM inspection and dimensional measurements of x-ray and optical masks. A soluble conducting polymer, polyaniline, is spin-coated on the mask and found to prevent charging even at 15 KV. This method is a non-destructive process in contrast to the commonly used technique of metal deposition, since the polymer can be cleanly removed without any damage to the mask. © 1991.