Quest for high brightness, monochromatic noble gas ion sources
- Delft University of Technology, Lorentzweg 1, 2628 CJ, Delft (Netherlands)
Focused ion beam (FIB) machines are key tools for state-of-the art sample preparation in electron microscopy, for characterization and repair in material sciences, for the semiconductor industry and for nanotechnology in general. Liquid-metal ion sources (LMIS) are widely used in FIB machines because they meet the minimum ion source requirements such as source brightness and reliability. However, in FIB machines, noble gas ion sources are favorable for sputtering, beam-induced etching and deposition, because the implanted ions do not change the electrical behavior of the substrate significantly. There are several efforts by various researchers to develop noble gas ion sources that can be used in FIB machines instead of LMIS. The gas ion sources could not meet the minimum ion source requirements. Therefore, LMIS are still a popular choice among FIB machine users. This review article takes a critical look at the reported efforts in the literature to develop noble gas ion sources for FIB machines.
- OSTI ID:
- 20723197
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, Vacuum, Surfaces and Films, Vol. 23, Issue 6; Other Information: DOI: 10.1116/1.2101792; (c) 2005 American Vacuum Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0734-2101
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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