Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A method, comprising:providing a gas field ion beam system, comprising:an external housing,an internal housing within the external housing,an electrically conductive tip within the internal housing,a gas supply configured to supply a gas to the internal housing, the gas supply comprising a tube terminating within the internal housing, andan extractor electrode having a hole configured to permit ions generated in the neighborhood of the tip to pass through the hole into the external housing, andregularly heating the external housing, the internal housing, the electrically conductive tip, the tube and the extractor electrode to a temperature above 100° C.,wherein, after heating the external housing, the internal housing, the electrically conductive tip, the tube and the extractor electrode, continuing to heat the electrically conductive tip while cooling the internal housing, the tube and the extractor electrode to a cryogenic temperature. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising cooling the external housing to room temperature before cooling the internal housing, the tube and the extractor electrode to cryogenic temperature. 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising cooling the electrically conductive tip to the cryogenic temperature after cooling the internal housing, the tube and the extractor electrode to the cryogenic temperature. 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising opening a bye-pass valve of the gas supply to achieve a gas flow from the gas supply into a vacuum space outside the internal housing. 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising heating the electrically conductive tip while keeping the internal housing, the tube and the extractor electrode at the cryogenic temperature. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the electrically conductive tip is heated to a temperature of 300° C. or more. 7. The method of claim 1, comprising heating the electrically conductive tip for one minute or more. 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising supplying light to the electrically conductive tip while keeping the internal housing, the tube and the extractor electrode at a cryogenic temperature, wherein a level of the light is at least 100 mW/mm2. 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a voltage difference between the electrically conductive tip and the extraction electrode while heating the electrically conductive tip or supplying light to the electrically conductive tip, wherein the voltage difference causes an electrical field of at least 35 V/nm. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more gases comprise neon or a noble gas with atoms having a mass larger than neon. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising cooling the external housing to room temperature before cooling the internal housing, the tube and the extractor electrode to cryogenic temperature. 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising cooling the electrically conductive tip to the cryogenic temperature after cooling the internal housing, the tube and the extractor electrode to the cryogenic temperature. 13. The method of claim 10, further comprising heating the electrically conductive tip while keeping the internal housing, the tube and the extractor electrode at the cryogenic temperature. 14. The method of claim 10, comprising heating the electrically conductive tip for one minute or more. 15. The method of claim 10, further comprising supplying light to the electrically conductive tip while keeping the internal housing, the tube and the extractor electrode at a cryogenic temperature, wherein a level of the light is at least 100 mW/mm2. 16. The method of a claim 1, wherein:the electrically conductive tip comprises a terminal shelf with a predefined number of atoms; andthe method further comprises:in a first mode of operation, operating the gas field ion beam system with a predefined voltage between the tip and the extractor electrode to generate an ion beam, and interacting the ion beam with a sample,in a second mode of operating, recording a field ion microscopic image of the terminal shelf of the tip in order to verify that the terminal shelf of the tip has the predefined number of atoms, andincreasing the voltage between the tip and the extractor electrode in the second mode of operation compared to the predefined voltage to provide an electrical field strength of at least of 35 V/nm at the terminal shelf of the tip. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein in the first mode of operation the electrical field strength at the terminal shelf of the tip is below 35 V/nm. 18. The method of claim 1, wherein:the electrically conductive tip comprises a terminal shelf with a predefined number of atoms; andthe method further comprises:in a first mode of operation, operating the gas field ion beam system with a predefined voltage between the tip and the extractor electrode to generate an ion beam, and interacting the ion beam with a sample, andin a second mode of operation, recording a field ion microscopic image of the terminal shelf of the tip in order to verify that the terminal shelf of the tip has the predefined number of atoms and irradiating light to the tip, wherein the light level is at least 100 mW/mm2.