Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T17:44:01.688Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Characteristics Comparison of Neon, Argon, and Krypton Ion Emissions from Gas Field Ionization Sources with a Single-Atom Tip

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 January 2019

Hiroyasu Shichi ,
Shinichi Matsubara  and
Tomihiro Hashizume
Hiroyasu Shichi*
Affiliation:
Research & Development Group, Hitachi, Ltd., 1-280 Higashi-Koigakubo, Kokubunji, Tokyo 185, Japan
Shinichi Matsubara
Affiliation:
Research & Development Group, Hitachi, Ltd., 1-280 Higashi-Koigakubo, Kokubunji, Tokyo 185, Japan
Tomihiro Hashizume
Affiliation:
Research & Development Group, Hitachi, Ltd., 1-280 Higashi-Koigakubo, Kokubunji, Tokyo 185, Japan
*
*Author for correspondence: Hiroyasu Shichi, E-mail: hiroyasu.shichi.kp@hitachi.com
Get access

Abstract

A scanning ion beam instrument equipped with a gas field ionization source (GFIS) has been commercialized, but only helium and neon are currently available as GFISs. In this study, the characteristics of neon, argon, and krypton ion emissions from a single-atom tip are compared, specifically for faster fabrication by milling of a silicon sample. Although the boiling point of argon is about 87 K, our experiments on characterizing argon ion emission can be carried out at temperatures of about 50 K at an argon gas pressure lower than 0.1 Pa. Argon exhibits ion current characteristics, as a function of tip voltage, between those of neon and krypton. The value obtained by multiplying the ion emission current by the sputtering yield is suitable for a figure of merit (FOM) for faster fabrication. The FOM for argon is the highest among the three ion species. This value must be extensively evaluated from the viewpoint of practical nano-fabrication application. The instabilities of neon, argon, and krypton ion currents (3σ) become as low as 8% in 1 h, which is sufficient for fabrication applications. We conclude that an argon or krypton GFIS ion beam instrument will be a useful tool for nano-fabrication.

Keywords

argoncurrent–voltage characteristicsgas field ionization sourceGFISkryptonnano-fabrication applicationneonscanning ion beam instrumentsingle-atom tip
Type
Materials Science Applications
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 25 , Issue 1 , February 2019 , pp. 105 - 114
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America 2019 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Borret, R, Bohringer, K & Kalbitzer, S (1990). Current-voltage characteristics of a gas field ion source with a supertip. J Phys D; Appl Phys 23, 1271–1277.Google Scholar
Briggs, D & Seah, MP (1993). Practical Surface Analysis Vol. 2: Ion and Neutral Spectroscopy. New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Giannuzzi, LA & Stevie, FA (2005). Introduction to Focused Ion Beams: Instrumentation, Theory, Techniques and Practice. New York: Springer.Google Scholar
Hlawacek, G, Veligura, V, Gastel, R & Poelsema, B (2014). Helium ion microscopy. J Vac Sci Technol B 32, 020801-1–020801-13.Google Scholar
Horiuchi, K, Itakura, T & Ishikawa, H (1988). Fine pattern lithography using a helium field ion source. J Vac Sci Technol B 6, 241–244.Google Scholar
Ishitani, T & Kawanami, Y (1995). Coarse guidelines in designing focused ion beam optics. J Vac Sci Technol B 13, 371–374.Google Scholar
Ishitani, T, Umemura, K, Hosoki, S, Takayama, S & Tamura, H (1984). Development of boron liquid–metal–ion source. J Vac Sci Technol A 2, 1365–1369.Google Scholar
Itakura, T, Horiuchi, K & Yamamoto, S (1991). Microprobe of helium ions. J Vac Sci Technol B 9, 2596–2601.Google Scholar
Jiang, Q, Ji, X, King, T-J, Leung, K-N, Standiford, K & Wilde, SB (2002). Improvement in brightness of multicusp-plasma ion source. J Vac Sci Technol B 20, 2717–2720.Google Scholar
Kawanami, Y, Ohnishi, T & Ishitani, T (1990). Design of a high-current-density focused-ion-beam optical system with the aid of a chromatic aberration formula. J Vac Sci Technol B 8, 1673–1675.Google Scholar
Krohn, VE & Ringo, GR (1975). Ion source of high brightness using liquid metal. Appl Phys Lett 27, 479–481.Google Scholar
Kuo, H, Hwang, I, Fu, T, Lin, Y, Chang, C & Tsong, TT (2006). Noble metal/W(111) single-atom tips and their field electron and ion emission characteristics. Jpn J Appl Phys 45(11), 8972–8993.Google Scholar
Kuo, H-S, Hwang, I-S, Fu, T-Y, Lu, Y-H, Lin, C-Y & Tsong, TT (2008). Gas field ion source from an Ir-W<111> single-atom tip. Appl Phys Lett 92, 063106–1–063106-3.+single-atom+tip.+Appl+Phys+Lett+92,+063106–1–063106-3.>Google Scholar
Livengood, RH, Tan, S, Hallstein, R, Notte, JA, McVey, S & Rahman, FH (2011). The neon gas field ion source—a first characterization of neon nanomachining properties. Nucl Instrum Meth A 645, 136–140.Google Scholar
Mueller, W & Tsong, TT (1969). Field Ion Microscopy. Principles and Applications. New York: Elsevier.Google Scholar
Notte, J, Ward, B, Economou, N, Hill, R, Percival, R, Farkas, L & McVey, S (2007). An introduction to the helium ion microscope. AIP Conf Proc 931, 489–496.Google Scholar
Orloff, J ed. (2008). Handbook of Charged Particle Optics, 2nd ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.Google Scholar
Orloff, J, Utlaut, M & Swanson, L (2003). High Resolution Focused Ion Beams (FIB and Its Applications). New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum.Google Scholar
Orloff, JH & Swanson, LW (1979). Angular intensity of a gas-phase field ionization source. J Appl Phys 50, 6026–6027.Google Scholar
Podaru, NC & Mous, DJW (2016). Recent developments and upgrades in ion source technology and ion beam systems at HVE. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res B 371, 137–141.Google Scholar
Prewett, PD (1992). Focused ion beams in microfabrication. Rev Sci Instrum 63, 2364–2366.Google Scholar
Rahman, FHM, Notte, JA, Livengood, RH & Tan, S (2013). Observation of synchronized atomic motions in the field ion microscope. Ultramicroscopy 126, 10–18.Google Scholar
Rezeq, M, Pitters, J & Wolkow, R (2006). Tungsten nanotip fabrication by spatially controlled field-assisted reaction with nitrogen. J Chem Phys 124, 204716-1–204716-6.Google Scholar
Rout, B, Greco, R, Pastore, N, Dyminikov, AD & Glass, GA (2005). Upgrading a duoplasmatron ion source to produce high brightness beam for nuclear microprobe applications with a tandem accelerator. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res B 241, 382–386.Google Scholar
Sato, M (1992). Current-pressure characteristics of Ar field ion source at high pressures. Jpn J Appl Phys 31, L291–L292.Google Scholar
Shichi, H, Matsubara, S & Hashizume, T (2017). Characteristics of krypton ion emission from a gas field ionization source with a single atom tip. Jpn J Appl Phys 56, 06GC01.Google Scholar
Shichi, H, Osabe, S & Kanehori, K (1997). A new focused ion beam optical system for a time-of-flight-secondary ion mass spectrometry instrument. Rapid Commum Mass Spctrom. 11, 175–178.Google Scholar
Smith, NS, Skoczylas, WP, Kellogg, SM, Kinion, DE, Tesch, PP, Sutherland, O, Aanesland, A & Boswell, RW (2006). High brightness inductively coupled plasma source for high current focused ion beam applications. J Vac Sci Technol B 24, 2902–2906.Google Scholar
Stanford, MG, Lewis, BB, Mahady, K, Fowlkes, JD & Rack, PD (2017). Review Article: Advanced nanoscale patterning and material synthesis with gas field helium and neon ion beams. J Vac Sci Technol B 35, 030802-1-030802-23.Google Scholar
Tan, S, Livengood, R, Shima, D, Notte, J & McVey, S (2010). Gas field ion source and liquid metal ion source charged particle material interaction study for semiconductor nanomachining applications. Vac Sci Technol B 28, C6F15-C6F21.Google Scholar
Tondare, VN (2005). Quest for high brightness, monochromatic noble gas ion sources. J Vac Sci Technol A 23, 1498–1508.Google Scholar
Urban, R, Pitters, JL & Wolkow, RA (2012). Gas field ion source current stability for trimer and single atom terminated W(111) tips. Appl Phys Lett 100, 263105-1–263105-4.Google Scholar
Ward, BW, Notte, JA & Economou, NP (2006). Helium ion microscope: A new tool for nanoscale microscopy and metrology. J Vac Sci Technol B 24, 2871–3874.Google Scholar
Yao, N & Lin, WZ ed. (2005). Handbook of Microscopy for Nanotechnology. New York: Academic-Plenum Publishers.Google Scholar
Zalm, PC (1983). Energy dependence of the sputtering yield of silicon bombarded with neon, argon, krypton, and xenon ions. J Appl Phys 54, 2660–2666.Google Scholar
Ziegler, JF ed. (1992). Handbook of Ion Implantation Technology. North-Holland, Amsterdam: Elsevier Science Publishers.Google Scholar