A new method that makes possible a potential-profile measurement of an electrostatic latent image is proposed. The key technology is to detect a primary electron. When a surface potential is greater than acceleration voltage of the primary electron, the velocity becomes zero before the electron hits a sample. As a result, the primary electron reaches to a detector without reaching the sample. The potential distribution can be measured by detecting primary electrons while changing an applied voltage of a backside. This method is that the means of charging, exposing, and detecting are all incorporated in the same system, making real-time measurement possible.This system is being used to analyze the basis of an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoconductor. In order to confirm a phenomenon of reciprocity law failure, the latent-image depth was measured by changing the delay time when exposure was carried out a couple of times. As a result, the latent-image depth tends to be formed deep when the delay time becomes long.
Hiroyuki Suhara, Nobuaki Kubo, Takeshi Ueda, Hiroaki Tanaka, "Potential Profile Measurement and Mechanism Analysis of Electrostatic Latent Image by Detecting Primary Electrons" in Proc. IS&T Int'l Conf. on Digital Printing Technologies and Digital Fabrication (NIP28), 2012, pp 294 - 297, https://doi.org/10.2352/ISSN.2169-4451.2012.28.1.art00006_2