Optimizing SEM parameters for segmentation with AI – Part 1: Generating a training set
Bibliographic record
Abstract
Extracting significant quantitative results from SEM images requires feature segmentation with image processing software. The efficiency of segmentation algorithms depends on the image quality, determined by the parameters set on the microscope during acquisitions. By integrating AI within SEM acquisition workflows, it is possible to suggest microscope parameters that will produce images where the features to quantify will be easily segmented. Specifically, a model is trained to automatically suggest the beam energy and probe current to set on the microscope during acquisitions. This paper is the first of two parts, describing workflows for generating a complete training set. The training set is carefully designed, consisting of both simulated data and real data acquired on the SEM by varying the energy and current. Separate workflows are required for generating simulated and acquired training examples. Simulated data generation is accomplished with the MC X-ray simulator in Dragonfly, where multiple virtual samples are created to intentionally diversify the training set. Acquiring data on the SEM for training is a time-consuming process when compared to generating simulations and would ideally be avoided but is included here to determine the degree to which it is required. Using only simulated data for adequate training, we show that our data generation workflow can be fully automated and produces a considerable amount of high quality data rapidly and with minimal effort.
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How this classification was reachedexpand
Full frame machine prediction
Teacher imitationNot calibrated prevalence, not ground truth. Human validation pending. The Gemma side is a direct model label for every work in the frame, read from the title-only record. The Codex side is a classifier learned from the 10,348 direct Codex labels and calibrated to design-weighted sample rates; fields without enough sample support carry no Codex call. Candidate is the union of the two sides; consensus is their intersection. These outputs are machine_predicted_unvalidated and are not human labels.
Distilled classifier scores by category (both heads)
| Category | Codex | Gemma |
|---|---|---|
| Metaresearch | 0.001 | 0.004 |
| Meta-epidemiology (narrow) | 0.002 | 0.001 |
| Meta-epidemiology (broad) | 0.001 | 0.001 |
| Bibliometrics | 0.001 | 0.001 |
| Science and technology studies | 0.001 | 0.001 |
| Scholarly communication | 0.001 | 0.001 |
| Open science | 0.002 | 0.001 |
| Research integrity | 0.001 | 0.002 |
| Insufficient payload (model declined to judge) | 0.006 | 0.002 |
Machine scores (provisional)
The two teacher heads of the student model, read on this work. A score orders the frame for review; it never asserts a category, and the validation status ships verbatim with every row.
Baseline scores from an immature model (maturity gate not passed, 7 training rounds). Scores rank; they never assert a category.
score_only:v0-immature-baseline · verbatim from the scoring run: score_only means the number may rank works, and no category label ships from itClassification
machine, unvalidatedMachine predicted; a candidate call from one source (direct Gemma or distilled Codex), not a consensus.
How this classification was reached, model by model and score by score, is at the end of the page under "How this classification was reached".