Focused Ion Beam

Focused ion beam (FIB) systems operate similarly to a scanning electron microscope (SEM), except that instead of a beam of accelerated electrons it takes advantages of accelerated ions. The FIB technique opens to direct writing by sputtering (milling), ion beam implantation and creation of defects to locally modify material properties, ion beam induced deposition of materials exploiting the presence of gas injection systems (GIS) and ion beam lithography. The secondary SEM column could be used not only for imaging,  but for electron beam lithography on resist and electron beam induced material depositions exploiting the GIS tool. FIB systems can be equipped with different detectors: Everhart-Thornley SE, In-lens SE detector, Backscattered Detector, EDX. In the micro-nanofabrication area, FIB is used to create 2D and 3D features at the nanometer scale. FIB can pattern a diverse range of materials into features like dots, lines, and arrays with high precision. Both FIB milling and electron beam lithography can achieve similar resolution for 2D patterns. When coupled with a GIS, FIB can create 3D features with exceptional resolution, down to a few nanometers. This allows for the fabrication of intricate 3D structures with remarkable detail and precision.