Methods and Apparatus for Determining, Using, and Indicating Ion Beam Working Properties

An ion beam apparatus for preparing a sample comprising:

• a. an ion beam irradiating means disposed in a vacuum chamber directing a broad ion beam along a central ion beam axis;
• b. the broad ion beam comprising:
• a working portion directed toward said sample;
• and a monitoring portion;
• c. said ion beam irradiating means operative to provide at least two levels of one or more ion beam characteristics selected from the list consisting of:
• i. an instantaneous current of ions;
• ii. an instantaneous flux of ions;
• iii. an instantaneous flux of neutrals;
• iv. a time-averaged current of ions;
• v. a time-averaged flux of ions;
• vi. a time-averaged flux of neutrals;
• vii. an integrated current of ions;
• viii. an integrated flux of ions;
• ix. an integrated flux of neutrals;
• x. an instantaneous energy of ions;
• xi. a time-averaged energy of ions;
• xii. an integrated energy of ions;
• xiii. an instantaneous energy distribution of ions;
• xiv. a time-averaged energy distribution of ions;
• xv. and an integrated energy distribution of ions;
• d. said working portion characterized in that it has one or more working portion characteristics selected from said list of said ion beam characteristics;
• e. said monitoring portion characterized in that it has one or more monitoring portion characteristics selected from said list of said ion beam characteristics;
• f. a sample retention stage configured to retain said sample in a predetermined position and orientation with respect to the central ion beam axis;
• g. a beam probe disposed to receive said monitoring portion of the broad ion beam;
• h. said beam probe operable to receive said monitoring portion substantially without altering said working portion of said broad ion beam;
• i. said beam probe operable to produce a probe signal responsive to one or more monitoring portion characteristics, said probe signal being in a known relationship to said one or more working portion characteristics, said known relationship being contained in a calibration data set;
• j. an indicator responsive to said probe signal and said calibration data set to indicate said one or more working portion characteristics of the ion beam.

An ion beam apparatus for preparing a sample with a coating material comprising:

• a. an ion beam irradiating means disposed in a vacuum chamber directing a broad ion beam along a central ion beam axis toward said coating material, the coating material being held in a predetermined position and orientation with respect to said central ion beam axis;
• b. the broad ion beam comprising:
• a working portion directed toward said coating material and producing a sputtered coating material;
• and a monitoring portion;
• c. said ion beam irradiating means being a modulating ion beam irradiating means operative to provide at least two levels of one or more ion beam characteristics selected from the list consisting of:
• i. an instantaneous current of ions;
• ii. an instantaneous flux of ions;
• iii. an instantaneous flux of neutrals;
• iv. a time-averaged current of ions;
• v. a time-averaged flux of ions;
• vi. a time-averaged flux of neutrals;
• vii. an integrated current of ions;
• viii. an integrated flux of ions;
• ix. an integrated flux of neutrals;
• x. an instantaneous energy of ions;
• xi. a time-averaged energy of ions;
• xii. an integrated energy of ions;
• xiii. an instantaneous energy distribution of ions;
• xiv. a time-averaged energy distribution of ions;
• and,
• xv. an integrated energy distribution of ions;
• d. said working portion characterized in that it has one or more working portion characteristics selected from said list of said ion beam characteristics;
• e. said monitoring portion characterized in that it has one or more monitoring portion characteristics selected from said list of said ion beam characteristics;
• f. a sample retention stage configured to retain said sample in a predetermined position and orientation with respect to said sputtered coating material, said sample disposed to receive a coating portion of said sputtered coating material;
• g. a beam probe disposed to receive said monitoring portion of the broad ion beam;
• h. said beam probe operable to receive said monitoring portion substantially without altering said working portion of said broad ion beam;
• i. said beam probe operable to produce a probe signal responsive to one or more monitoring portion characteristics, the probe signal further characterized in that it is in a known relationship to said coating portion, said known relationship being contained in a calibration data set that associates said one or more monitoring portion characteristics to one or more coating portion characteristics;
• j. said ion beam irradiating means responsive to receiving said probe signal by modulating one or more ion beam characteristics selected from said list of said ion beam characteristics.

An ion beam apparatus for creating a calibration data set relating one or more working portion characteristics of a broad ion beam to one or more monitoring portion characteristics of said ion beam, the apparatus comprising:

• a) an ion beam irradiating means disposed in a vacuum chamber directing a broad ion beam along a central ion beam axis;
• b) the broad ion beam comprising a working portion directed toward a calibration probe;
• and a monitoring portion directed toward a beam probe;
• c) a calibration probe retention stage configured to retain said calibration probe in a predetermined position and orientation with respect to the central ion beam axis,
• d) said beam probe operable to receive said monitoring portion substantially without altering said working portion of said broad ion beam;
• e) said beam probe operable to produce a probe signal responsive to one or more monitoring portion characteristics;
• f) said calibration probe operable to receive said working portion and produce a calibration signal responsive to one or more working portion characteristics;
• and,
• g) the apparatus further configured to create said calibration data set by associating one or more said probe signals with corresponding one or more said calibration signals.

An ion beam apparatus for creating a calibration data set relating one or more coating portion characteristics of a sputtered coating material to one or more monitoring portion characteristics of a broad ion beam, the apparatus comprising:

• a) an ion beam irradiating means disposed in a vacuum chamber directing a broad ion beam along a central ion beam axis toward a coating material, the coating material being held in a predetermined position and orientation with respect to said central ion beam axis;
• b) the broad ion beam comprising:
• a working portion directed toward said coating material and producing a sputtered coating material;
• and a monitoring portion directed toward a beam probe;
• c) said beam probe disposed to receive said monitoring portion of the broad ion beam, operable to receive said monitoring portion substantially without altering said working portion of said broad ion beam, and operable to produce a probe signal responsive to one or more monitoring portion characteristics;
• d) a calibration probe retention stage configured to retain a calibration probe in a predetermined position and orientation with respect to said coating material;
• e) said calibration probe disposed to receive a coating portion of said sputtered coating material and operable to produce a calibration signal responsive to one or more coating portion characteristics;
• f) the apparatus further configured to create said calibration data set by associating one or more said probe signals with corresponding one or more said calibration signals.

An ion beam apparatus for preparing a sample comprising:

• a) an ion beam irradiating means disposed in a vacuum chamber directing a broad ion beam along a central ion beam axis;
• b) the broad ion beam comprising a working portion directed toward said sample;
• c) said ion beam irradiating means being a modulating ion beam irradiating means operative to provide at least two levels of one or more ion beam characteristics selected from the list consisting of:
• i) an instantaneous current of ions;
• ii) an instantaneous flux of ions;
• iii) an instantaneous flux of neutrals;
• iv) a time-averaged current of ions;
• v) a time-averaged flux of ions;
• vi) a time-averaged flux of neutrals;
• vii) an integrated current of ions;
• viii) an integrated flux of ions;
• ix) an integrated flux of neutrals;
• x) an instantaneous energy of ions;
• xi) a time-averaged energy of ions;
• xii) an integrated energy of ions;
• xiii) an instantaneous energy distribution of ions;
• xiv) a time-averaged energy distribution of ions;
• and,
• xv) an integrated energy distribution of ions;
• d) said working portion characterized in that it has one or more working portion characteristics selected from said list of said ion beam characteristics;
• e) a sample retention stage configured to retain said sample in a predetermined position and orientation with respect to the central ion beam axis;
• f) a beam probe operable to measure at least one of {electron current, ion current} generated within said ion beam irradiating means and operable therewith to produce a probe signal responsive to one or more ion beam characteristics selected from said list of said ion beam characteristics;
• g) said beam probe operating substantially without altering said working portion of said broad ion beam;
• h) said ion beam irradiating means responsive to receiving said probe signal by modulating one or more ion beam characteristics selected from said list of said ion beam characteristics.