Gas field ion microscopes having multiple operation modes
AssigneeCarl Zeiss NTS GmbH
InventorLawrence Scipioni
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Abstract
The disclosure relates to ion beams systems, such as gas field ion microscopes, having multiple modes of operation, as well as related methods. In some embodiments, the disclosure provides a method of operating a gas field ion microscope system that includes a gas field ion source, where the gas field ion source includes a tip including a plurality of atoms.
Claims20
A method of operating a gas field ion microscope system comprising a gas field ion source, the gas field ion source comprising a tip including a plurality of atoms, the method comprising:
- operating the gas field ion microscope system in a first mode including interacting a first ion beam with a sample, at least about 80% of the ions in the first ion beam being generated by a first number of atoms of the plurality of atoms of the tip;
- and
- operating the gas field ion microscope system in a second mode in a second mode including interacting a second ion beam with the sample, at least about 80% of the ions in the second ion beam being generated by a second number of atoms of the plurality of atoms of the tip,
- wherein:
- the first mode is different from the second mode, and the first number of atoms is different from the second number of atoms, and
- the sample is not removed from the gas field ion microscope system between the first and second modes of operation.
A method of operating a gas field ion microscope system comprising a gas field ion source, the method comprising:
- interacting in a first mode of operation a first ion beam generated by the ion source with a sample, the first ion beam having a current of at most one nanoamp at a surface of the sample;
- and
- interacting in a second mode of operation a second ion beam generated by the ion source with the sample, the second ion beam having a current of at least 10 picoAmps at the surface of the sample,
- wherein the sample is not removed from the gas field ion microscope system between the first and second modes of operation.
A method of operating a gas field ion microscope system comprising a gas field ion source, the method comprising:
- interacting in a first mode of operation a first ion beam generated by the ion source to etch a sample or deposit material on a sample at a first rate;
- and
- interacting in a second mode of operation a second ion beam generated by the ion source with the sample to etch the sample or deposit material on a sample at a second rate greater than the first rate,
- wherein the sample is not removed from the gas field ion microscope system between the first and second modes of operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.