It is important to be able to quantify the imaging performance of critical dimension scanning electron microscopes for such purposes as verifying the specification, and tracking and optimizing its performance during use. Imaging performance can be defined by parameters such as resolution, signal to noise ratio, drift, and instability under standard operation conditions. To perform tests to obtain such parameters, it is necessary to have both suitable test samples and appropriate software for image analysis. A Fresnel zone plate, as a reproducible and well characterized sample, is fabricated using direct-write electron beam lithography. A package of two-dimensional Fourier transform and analysis software, designed as a plug-in for the shareware IMAGE-JAVA program, has been developed for resolution analysis and is freely available online. (C) 2007 American Vacuum Society.