Helium-ion-beam-induced growth of 3-dimensional AFM probes

Enhancing re-detection efficacy of defects on blank wafers using stealth fiducial markers

To qualify tools of semiconductor manufacturing, particles unintentionally deposited in these tools are character-ized using blank wafers. With fast optical inspection tools one can quickly localize these particle defects. An ex-ample is TNO's Rapid Nano, which operates in optical darkfield. The next step is defect review for further...

Helium ion beam induced growth of hammerhead AFM probes

The authors report the direct-write growth of hammerhead atomic force microscope(AFM) probes by He+beam induced deposition of platinum-carbon. In order to grow a thin nanoneedle on top of a conventional AFM probe, the authors move a focused He+beam during exposure to a PtC precursor gas. In the final growth stage, a perpendicular movement of the...

Novel nanosample preparation with a helium ion microscope

In this article, we present novel sample preparation methods using a helium ion microscope (HIM). We report the possibility of reshaping, at room temperature, thin metal lines on an electron-transparent membrane: A set of platinum bridges with standard geometry (300X200X15 nm) was modified at room temperature into different shapes using focused...

Nanofabrication with a helium ion microscope

The recently introduced helium ion microscope (HIM) is capable of imaging and fabrication of nanostructures thanks to its sub-nanometer sized ion probe [1,2]. The unique interaction of the helium ions with the sample material provides very localized secondary electron emission, thus providing a valuable signal for high-resolution imaging as well...

Model for nanopillar growth by focused helium ion-beam-induced deposition

An analytical model for the growth of nanopillars by helium ion-beam-induced deposition is presented and compared to experimental data. This model describes the competition between pillar growth in vertical and lateral directions. It assumes that vertical growth is induced by incident primary ions and type-1 secondary electrons, whereas lateral...

Nanofabrication with a High Resolution Helium Ion Beam

On the influence of the sputtering in determining the resolution of a scanning ion microscope

The determination of the quality of an imaging system is not an easy task for, in general, at least three parameters, strictly interdependent, concur in defining it: resolution, contrast, and signal-to-noise ratio. The definition of resolution itself in scanning microscopy is elusive and the case of scanning ion microscopy is complicated by the...

Sub-10-nm nanolithography with a scanning helium beam

Scanning helium ion beam lithography is presented as a promising pattern definition technique for dense sub-10-nm structures. The powerful performance in terms of high resolution, high sensitivity, and a low proximity effect is demonstrated in a hydrogen silsesquioxane resist.

Nanofabrication with a helium ion microscope

The recently introduced helium ion microscope (HIM) is capable of imaging and fabrication of nanostructures thanks to its sub-nanometer sized ion probe [1,2]. The unique interaction of the helium ions with the sample material provides very localized secondary electron emission, thus providing a valuable signal for high-resolution imaging as well...