Query: Focused Ion Beam

title: A review of focused ion beam milling techniques for TEM specimen preparation
abstract: The use of focused ion beam (FIB) milling for the preparation of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) specimens is described. The operation of the FIB instrument is discussed and the conventional and lift out techniques for TEM specimen preparation and the advantages and disadvantages of each technique are detailed. The FIB instrument may be used for rapid site specific preparation of both cross section and plan view TEM specimens.

title: A review of focused ion beam applications in microsystem technology
abstract: In this paper the possibilities of focused ion beam (FIB) applications in microsystem technology are reviewed. After an introduction to the technology and the operating principles of FIB, two classes of applications are described. First the subject of FIB for microsystem technology inspection, metrology and failure analysis is outlined. A procedure for cross sectioning on samples is presented, as well as some examples of how this technique can be applied to study processing results. The second part of the paper is on the use of FIB as a tool for maskless micromachining. Both subtractive (etching) and additive (deposition) techniques are discussed, as well as the combination of FIB implantation of silicon with subsequent wet etching. We will show the possibility to fabricate three dimensional structures on a micrometre scale, and give examples of recent realizations thereof.

title: Focused ion beam microscopy and micromachining
abstract: The fairly recent availability of commercial focused ion beam (FIB) microscopes has led to rapid development of their applications for materials science. FIB instruments have both imaging and micromachining capabilities at the nanometer micrometer scale; thus, a broad range of fundamental studies and technological applications have been enhanced or made possible with FIB technology. This introductory article covers the basic FIB instrument and the fundamentals of ion solid interactions that lead to the many unique FIB capabilities as well as some of the unwanted artifacts associated with FIB instruments. The four topical articles following this introduction give overviews of specific applications of the FIB in materials science, focusing on its particular strengths as a tool for characterization and transmission electron microscopy sample preparation, as well as its potential for ion beam fabrication and prototyping.

title: Recent developments in micromilling using focused ion beam technology
abstract: The application of focused ion beam (FIB) technology in microfabrication has become increasingly popular. Its use in microfabrication has advantages over contemporary photolithography or other micromachining technologies, such as small feature resolution, the ability to process without masks and being accommodating for a variety of materials and geometries. An overview of the recent development in FIB microfabrication technology is given. The emphasis will be on direct milling, or maskless techniques, and this can distinguish the FIB technology from the contemporary photolithography process and provide a vital alternative to it. After an introduction to the technology and its FIB principles, the recent developments in using milling techniques for making various high quality devices and high precision components at the micrometer scale are examined and discussed. Finally, conclusions are presented to summarize the reviewed work and to suggest the areas for improving the FIB milling technology and for future research.

title: Three dimensional microstructural characterization using focused ion beam tomography
abstract: This article reviews recent developments and applications of focused ion beam (FIB) microscopes for three dimensional (3D) materials characterization at the microscale through destructive serial sectioning experiments. Precise ion milling in combination with electron optic based imaging and surface analysis methods can be used to iteratively section through metals, ceramics, polymers, and electronic or biological materials to reveal the true size, shape, and distribution of microstructural features. Importantly, FIB tomographic experiments cover a critical size scale gap that cannot be obtained with other instrumentation. The experiments encompass material volumes that are typically larger than 1000 mm 3 with voxel dimensions approaching tens of nanometers, and can contain structural, chemical, and crystallographic information. This article describes the current state of the art of this experimental methodology and provides examples of specific applications to 3D materials characterization.

title: The application of focused ion beam microscopy in the material sciences
abstract: This paper describes the application of focused ion beam microscopy in the characterisation of materials. The paper is of a tutorial nature whose aim is to assist the novice user in acquiring high quality, artefact free data. The design of FIBs is described, together with a brief background on the interactions which occur between the incident ion beam and the specimen. The use of focused ion beam microscopy in a wide range of materials science applications, including specimen preparation methods and in the generation of 3D visualisation is described.

title: Three Dimensional Orientation Microscopy in a Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscope: A New Dimension of Microstructure Characterization
abstract: In the present work, we report our recent progress in the development, optimization, and application of a technique for the three dimensional (3 D) high resolution characterization of crystalline microstructures. The technique is based on automated serial sectioning using a focused ion beam (FIB) and characterization of the sections by orientation microscopy based on electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) in a combined FIB scanning electron microscope (SEM) On our system, consisting of a Zeiss Crossbeam FIB SEM and an EDAX TSL EBSD system, the technique currently reaches a spatial resolution of 100 x 100 x 100 nm3 as a standard, but a resolution of 50 x 50 x 50 nm3 seems to be a realistic optimum. The maximum observable volume is on the order of 50 x 50 x 50 mm3. The technique extends all the powerful features of two dimensional (2 D) EBSD based orientation microscopy into the third dimension of space. This allows new parameters of the microstructure to be obtained for example, the full crystallographic characterization of all kinds of interfaces, including the morphology and the crystallographic indices of the interface planes. The technique is illustrated by four examples, including the characterization of pearlite colonies in a carbon steel, of twins in pseudonanocrystalline NiCo thin films, the description of deformation patterns formed under nanoindents in copper single crystals, and the characterization of fatigue cracks in an aluminum alloy. In view of these examples, we discuss the possibilities and limits of the technique. Furthermore, we give an extensive overview of parallel developments of 3 D orientation microscopy (with a focus on the EBSD based techniques) in other groups.

title: A review of focused ion beam milling techniques for TEM specimen preparation
abstract: The use of focused ion beam (FIB) milling for the preparation of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) specimens is described. The operation of the FIB instrument is discussed and the conventional and lift out techniques for TEM specimen preparation and the advantages and disadvantages of each technique are detailed. The FIB instrument may be used for rapid site specific preparation of both cross section and plan view TEM specimens. q 1999 Elsevier

title: Reducing focused ion beam damage to transmission electron microscopy samples.
abstract: One of the most important applications of focused ion beam (FIB) systems is sample preparation for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) However, the use of the FIB inherently involves changing and damaging the sample, and thereby degrades the TEM resolution. This paper addresses the beam induced damage and artifacts, particularly in applications involving silicon semiconductors. The damage appears in the form of amorphization on the surface of the TEM foil. The characteristics of this amorphous damage were studied by making TEM observations of cross sections of the affected foil. The damage is typically 20 to 30 nm thick for a 30 keV FIB, which is generally overly thick for modern silicon devices with feature sizes less than 250 nm. This paper reviews the reported damage depths of FIB prepared samples, which are determined by experiments and calculations. Several damage reduction techniques, such as the use of gas assisted etching, low energy FIB, cleaning the FIBfabricated cross section by wet or dry etching and cleaning by broad ion beam (BIB) milling have also been reviewed, with emphasis on applicability to silicon devices. We conclude that the use of low energy FIB and cleaning by argon BIB are particularly efficient techniques.

title: Focused ion beam applications to solid state devices
abstract: The current state of focused ion beam (FIB) applications in relation to solid state devices is reviewed, and recent use of FIB technology for lithography, etching, deposition, and doping are described. Etching and deposition have become essential processes for failure analysis and for mask repair in silicon ULSL production. Furthermore, the FIB doping technique has been used to fabricate quantum effect devices.