Seeing and Catching Atoms: ORNL's Atom Probe Field Ion Microscope

By Michael K. Miller, Philippe J. Pareige, and Kaye F. Russell

Link: Seeing and Catching Atoms: ORNL's Atom Probe Field Ion Microscope

FIM Group Research Projects and Image Gallery

Link: FIM Group Research Projects and Image Gallery

Helium Ion Beam Lithography in the ORION

This application note highlights the use of helium ion microscope (HIM) for direct write lithography in resists to create high feature density structures with critical dimensions below ten nanometers. The helium ion microscope provides a probe combining the small size available in electron beam systems with the favorable proximity effects of an ion.

From: Carl Zeiss NTS, LLC
Link: Helium Ion Beam Lithography in the ORION

Graphene Nano-Ribbon Patterning

Helium ion microscopy (HIM) offers the ability to carry out both high precision ion machining and sub-nanometer resolution imaging with high surface sensitivity in order to inspect patterns created in graphene. Nano-ribbons can be machined narrow enough to get deep into the quantum confinement regime and also maintain very long aspect ratios.

From: Carl Zeiss NTS, LLC
Link: Graphene Nano-Ribbon Patterning

Imaging with Long Depth of Field

The depth of field in the helium ion microscope can be five to ten times longer than in a typical SEM. Because the ion source is extremely small the ion optical column a helium ion microscope is run at a smaller demagnification than a typical SEM. Since depth of field is being inversely proportional to the convergence angle, the helium ion microscope images at a superior depth of field offers allowing foreground and background objects to be in good focus simultaneously.

From: Carl Zeiss NTS, LLC
Link: Imaging with Long Depth of Field

Nano-Pore Milling with the Helium Ion Microscope

The helium ion microscope produces a sub-nanometer size probe with a low mass ion. The beam has a tight spatial profile and a small convergence angle, both of which reduce aberrations. The sputtering rate is lower than for a gallium beam and sample interactions don’t spread the beam as quickly. Therefore sputtering events are much more likely to occur close to the beam axis. An example is shown based on the application of creating nmscale vias in a 100 nm thick gold layer.

From: Carl Zeiss NTS, LLC
Link: Nano-Pore Milling with the Helium Ion Microscope

Erwin W. Müller

Erwin Wilhelm Müller (or Mueller) (June 13, 1911, in Berlin – May 17, 1977, in Washington D.C.) was a German physicist who invented the field emission microscope, the field ion microscope, and the atom probe. The field ion microscope, capable of giving a resolution of 2.5 Å, provided the first sharp, clear view of crystals on an atomic scale, showing the individual atoms and their arrangement on the surface. For this achievement he became famous as the first person to "see" atoms.

Link: Erwin W. Müller

Atom Optics and Helium Atom Microscopy

Summary of project to devlopme a helium atom microscopy that provides an imaging technique with the uniquely delicate helium atom probe

Link: Atom Optics and Helium Atom Microscopy

Field Ion Microscopy and Atom Probe Tomography

Brief description of Field Ion Microscopy and Atom Probe tomography techniques.

Link: Field Ion Microscopy and Atom Probe Tomography