Recent Advances in FIB Technology for Nano-prototyping and Nano-characterisation
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1020-GG01-05
Recent Advances in FIB Technology for Nano-prototyping and Nano-characterisation Debbie J Stokes1, Laurent Roussel1, Oliver Wilhelmi1, Lucille A Giannuzzi2, and Dominique HW Hubert1 1 FEI Company, Eindhoven, 5600, Netherlands 2 FEI Company, Hillsboro, OR, 97124
ABSTRACT Combined focused ion beam (FIB) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) methods are becoming increasingly important for nano-materials applications as we continue to develop ways to exploit the complex interplay between primary ion and electron beams and the substrate, in addition to the various subtle relationships with gaseous intermediaries. We demonstrate some of the recent progress that has been made concerning FIB SEM processing of both conductive and insulating materials for state-of-the-art nanofabrication and prototyping and superior-quality specimen preparation for ultra-high resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging and related in situ nanoanalysis techniques. INTRODUCTION State-of-the-art focused ion beam technology combined with high-performance scanning electron microscopy is making a big impact, particularly with the ability to use either focused ions or electrons to perform a number of different tasks at the nano-scale. A typical arrangement of beams is shown in figure 1 below.
Bulk specimen, tilted Figure 1. Schematic diagram to show the relative geometries of the specimen and ion and electron beams in a FIB SEM system. Gallium is commonly used as a FIB source. Achieving the highest standards requires an understanding of the physics and chemistry of the system as a whole, which contains ions and electrons of various energies and origins, substrates with a range of electrical and mechanical properties, and reactive gases capable of specific effects on in situ chemical vapor deposition, sputtering and redeposition. We have built up a detailed knowledge of these complex parameters and, in this paper, we discuss three aspects of FIB processing (1) nano-fabrication and prototyping (2) milling of non-conductive materials and (3) preparation of specimens for use with other techniques.
DISCUSSION Nanofabrication and prototyping The milling of patterns in any kind of material and the precise deposition of various metals or non-metallic materials in a single instrument are recognized as novel means for truly rapid prototyping. An on-board digital pattern generator can be used for steering the ion or electron beam according to a given design. At present, pattern generators for electron beam lithography (EBL) are being used together with their dedicated software on FIB SEM instruments. However, electron-beam lithography exposure strategies do not take into account the fundamental differences in beam-substrate interactions. In EBL, electron beam exposure creates a latent image in a resist film, which is developed once the pattern is completed and the substrate has been removed from the instrument. The resulting structures are a convolution of the dose accumulate
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