Surreal illustration of glowing electric field lines on a microchip under an electron microscope.

Unlocking the Invisible: How Scientists Map Electric Fields in Microchips

Avery Sinclair in Tech & Innovation December 2025 • 4 min read.

"A new technique uses electron microscopes to visualize and measure electric fields, paving the way for smarter, more reliable microelectronics."

Vacuum Electronic Devices (VEDs) are essential in various high-tech applications, from particle accelerators to satellite communication systems. Modern microchip technologies are creating a new generation of vacuum microelectronic devices, with feature sizes ranging from micrometers to nanometers. These devices hold immense potential for energy harvesting, displays, and high-frequency applications.

However, these microelectronic devices operate under extremely high electric fields—up to 108 V/m—making them susceptible to insulation failures. Understanding the electric field distribution within these tiny gaps is crucial for ensuring their reliability and optimizing their design. Traditionally, directly observing and measuring these fields has been a significant challenge.

Now, researchers are developing innovative ways to tackle this problem. A promising technique involves using electron microscopes to directly observe the electric field distribution in vacuum microgaps. This method offers a way to visualize and measure these fields, opening doors to advancements in microelectronics.

How Does the Electric Field Mapping Technique Work?

Surreal illustration of glowing electric field lines on a microchip under an electron microscope.

The new technique involves performing in-situ measurements inside a high-resolution scanning electron microscope (SEM). Researchers create vacuum microgaps using tiny tungsten hemispheres and apply a direct-current bias voltage to generate a high electrostatic field. A focused electron beam is then directed through the gap.

As the electron beam passes through the electric field, it is deflected. The amount of deflection is directly related to the strength of the electric field at each point. By analyzing the deflected electrons, researchers can create a two-dimensional map of the electric field distribution. This is achieved by collecting secondary electrons emitted from an aluminum substrate with periodic trenches, which helps visualize the field.

Here are the key steps involved in this process:

Creating vacuum microgaps using tungsten hemispheres.
Applying a bias voltage to generate a strong electric field.
Directing an electron beam through the microgap.
Measuring the deflection of the electron beam.
Creating a 2D map of the electric field distribution.

To validate this method, the team compared their experimental results with finite element method (FEM) simulations and three-electrode imaging experiments. The close agreement between these different approaches confirms that this in-situ visualization technique is a reliable way to determine local field enhancement behavior in microscale structures.

The Future of Microelectronics

This novel technique opens up new possibilities for understanding and optimizing the design of microelectronic devices. By visualizing the electric field distribution, engineers can identify areas of high stress and improve the insulation to prevent failures. This could lead to more reliable and efficient devices for a wide range of applications.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1016/j.micron.2018.10.001, Alternate LINK

Title: Two-Dimensional Mapping Of The Electric Field Distribution Inside Vacuum Microgaps Observed In A Scanning Electron Microscope

Subject: Cell Biology

Journal: Micron

Publisher: Elsevier BV

Authors: Guodong Meng, Chengye Dong, Xinyu Gao, Dujiao Zhang, Kejing Wang, Pengcheng Zhang, Yonghong Cheng

Published: 2019-01-01

Everything You Need To Know

What is the primary innovation discussed, and what problem does it solve?

The primary innovation is a technique using electron microscopes to map electric fields within microchips. This solves the challenge of directly observing and measuring the high electric fields—up to 108 V/m—present in Vacuum Electronic Devices (VEDs), which are susceptible to insulation failures. Understanding these fields is crucial for improving the reliability and optimizing the design of microelectronic devices.

How does the electron microscope technique actually map the electric fields within the microchips?

The technique involves several key steps. First, vacuum microgaps are created using tungsten hemispheres. Then, a bias voltage is applied to generate a strong electric field within the microgap. A focused electron beam is then directed through this gap. As the electron beam passes through the electric field, it deflects. The degree of this deflection is proportional to the electric field strength. By analyzing the deflected electrons, researchers can construct a two-dimensional map of the electric field distribution. Secondary electrons emitted from an aluminum substrate with periodic trenches are collected to help visualize the field.

What are Vacuum Electronic Devices (VEDs), and why are they important in this context?

Vacuum Electronic Devices (VEDs) are essential components in various high-tech applications, ranging from particle accelerators to satellite communication systems. The article highlights that modern microchip technologies are creating a new generation of vacuum microelectronic devices. These devices, with feature sizes from micrometers to nanometers, hold significant potential for energy harvesting, displays, and high-frequency applications. Their importance in this context stems from their operation under extremely high electric fields, making them prone to insulation failures. The new technique aims to understand and improve these devices.

How was the effectiveness of the new electric field mapping technique validated?

The effectiveness of the in-situ visualization technique was validated by comparing the experimental results with Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations and three-electrode imaging experiments. The close agreement between the results from these different approaches confirms the reliability of the method in determining local field enhancement behavior in microscale structures.

What are the potential implications of this new technique for the future of microelectronics?

This novel technique opens new possibilities for understanding and optimizing the design of microelectronic devices. By visualizing the electric field distribution, engineers can identify areas of high stress within the devices. This allows for improvements in insulation, which directly prevents failures. The ability to map and understand these fields could lead to the development of more reliable and efficient devices, ultimately benefiting a wide range of applications reliant on microelectronics.