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US 7,670,455 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.
Claims30
A method for producing a focused ion beam, comprising:
- applying RF power to an antenna that inductively couples energy to a plasma to induce ionization of the plasma in proximity of the antenna,
- the electrical phase shift across the antenna set so as to reduce modulation of the plasma potential;
- extracting an ionized beam from a region of extraction;
- 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, the antenna being coupled
- to the electrical source so as to cause a phase shift across the antenna to substantially reduce oscillations in the electrical potential of the ionized plasma;
- an extraction mechanism to extract the ionized plasma into a beam;
- and
- a focusing mechanism to focus the beam on a work piece.
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;
- a power supply for providing power to the antenna;
- an extractor that enables extraction of the plasma from the source aperture into a beam;
- and
- a focusing mechanism to focus the beam, the plasma in the tube having sufficient ionization and sufficiently small oscillations so that the beam of ions has a current of greater than 10−11 amps and an axial energy spread of less than 3 eV, the plasma system providing an ion source brightness of greater than 104 A/cm2/sr.
3 more elements
A method for focused ion beam processing, comprising:
- applying RF power to an antenna that inductively couples energy to a plasma to induce ionization of the plasma in proximity of the antenna to produce a source of ions;
- extracting beam of ions from a region of extraction, the ion beam having a current of greater than 10−11 amps and an axial energy spread of less than 3 eV, the ion source having a brightness of greater than 104 A/cm2/sr.;
- and
- focusing the ion beam onto a work piece for imaging, etching, or deposition material onto the work piece.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.