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US 7,241,361 B2Granted
Magnetically enhanced, inductively coupled plasma source for a focused ion beam system
AssigneeFEI Company
InventorsJohn Keller, Noel Smith, Roderick Boswell, Lawrence Scipioni, Christine Charles, Orson Sutherland
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides an inductively coupled, magnetically enhanced ion beam source, suitable to be used in conjunction with probe-forming optics to produce an ion beam without kinetic energy oscillations induced by the source.
Claims20
A method for producing a focused ion beam, comprising the steps of:
- applying RF power to an antenna that inductively couples energy to a plasma to induce ionization of the plasma in proximity of the antenna;
- providing impedance matching circuitry to adjust the electrical phase shift across the antenna to reduce modulation of the plasma potential;
- extracting an ionized beam from a region of extraction in proximity to the antenna;
- and
- applying a focusing mechanism to the ion beam extracted from the region.
2 more elements
A focused ion beam system, comprising:
- a vessel enclosing a region of plasma;
- an antenna excited by an RF electrical source to induce ionization of the plasma;
- circuitry that couples the antenna to the electrical source to substantially reduce RF oscillations in the ionized plasma, and provides adjustment of the electrical phase shift across the antenna to reduce modulation of the plasma potential;
- an extraction mechanism to extract the ionized plasma into a beam;
- and
- a focusing mechanism to focus the beam.
3 more elements
A focused ion beam system for milling and deposition, comprising:
- a plasma tube comprising an ionizable, non-metallic plasma gas and a source aperture at an end of the tube;
- a helical antenna positioned around the plasma tube;
- circuitry in a network comprising the antenna and providing adjustment of the electrical phase shift across the antenna to reduce modulation of the plasma potential;
- an extractor that enables extraction of the plasma from the source aperture into a beam;
- and
- a focusing mechanism to focus the beam.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.