Provides an up-to-date review and analysis of liquid metal ion sources and their applications. The contents range from a discussion of the fundamental physics underlying operation of the liquid metal ion sources, through the technical details of their construction and manufacture to their performance characteristics. Their use in focused ion beam systems is covered in detail, including a discussion of the fundamentals of ion optical focusing column design and the various microengineering applications.

In this book, we have attempted to produce a reference on high resolution focused ion beams (FIBs) that will be useful for both the user and the designer of FIB instrumentation. We have included a mix of theory and applications that seemed most useful to us. The field of FIBs has advanced rapidly since the application of the first field emission ion sources in the early 1970s. The development of the liquid metal ion source (LMIS) in the late 1960s and early 1970s and its application for FIBs in the late 1970s have resulted in a powerful tool for research and for industry. There have been hundreds of papers written on many aspects of LMIS and FIBs, and a useful and informative book on these subjects was published in 1991 by Phil Prewett and Grame Mair. Because there have been so many new applications and uses found for FIBs in the last ten years we felt that it was time for another book on the subject.

The focused ion beam (FIB) system is an important tool for understanding and manipulating the structure of materials at the nanoscale. Combining this system with an electron beam creates a DualBeam - a single system that can function as an imaging, analytical and sample modification tool. Presenting the principles, capabilities, challenges and applications of the FIB technique, this edited volume, first published in 2007, comprehensively covers the ion beam technology including the DualBeam. The basic principles of ion beam and two-beam systems, their interaction with materials, etching and deposition are all covered, as well as in situ materials characterization, sample preparation, three-dimensional reconstruction and applications in biomaterials and nanotechnology. With nanostructured materials becoming increasingly important in micromechanical, electronic and magnetic devices, this self-contained review of the range of ion beam methods, their advantages, and when best to implement them is a valuable resource for researchers in materials science, electrical engineering and nanotechnology.

With the growing proliferation of nanotechnologies, powerful imaging technologies are being developed to operate at the sub-nanometer scale. The newest edition of a bestseller, the Handbook of Charged Particle Optics, Second Edition provides essential background information for the design and operation of high resolution focused probe instruments. The book’s unique approach covers both the theoretical and practical knowledge of high resolution probe forming instruments. The second edition features new chapters on aberration correction and applications of gas phase field ionization sources. With the inclusion of additional references to past and present work in the field, this second edition offers perfectly calibrated coverage of the field’s cutting-edge technologies with added insight into how they work. Written by the leading research scientists, the second edition of the Handbook of Charged Particle Optics is a complete guide to understanding, designing, and using high resolution probe instrumentation.

The Handbook of Ion Sources delivers the data needed for daily work with ion sources. It also gives information for the selection of a suitable ion source and ion production method for a specific application. The Handbook concentrates on practical aspects and introduces the principle function of ion sources. The basic plasma parameters are defined and discussed. The working principles of various ion sources are explained, and examples of each type of ion source are presented with their operational data. Tables of ion current for various elements and charge states summarize the performance of different ion sources. The problems related to the production of ions of non-gaseous elements are detailed, and data on useful materials for evaporation and ion source construction are summarized. Additional chapters are dedicated to extraction and beam formation, ion beam diagnosis, ion source electronics, and computer codes for extraction, acceleration, and beam transport. Emittance and brilliance are described and space charge effects and neutralization discussed. Various methods for the measurement of current, profile, emittance, and time structure are presented and compared. Intensity limits for these methods are provided for different ion energies. Typical problems related to the operation of ion source plasmas are discussed and practical examples of circuits are given. The influence of high voltage on ion source electronics and possibilities for circuit protection are covered. The generation of microwaves and various microwave equipment are described and special problems related to microwave operation are summarized. The Handbook of Ion Sources is a valuable reference on the subject, of benefit to practitioners and graduate students interested in accelerators, ion implantation, and ion beam techniques.

This book covers the fundamentals of Helium Ion Microscopy (HIM) including the Gas Field Ion Source (GFIS), column and contrast formation. It also provides first hand information on nanofabrication and high resolution imaging. Relevant theoretical models and the existing simulation approaches are discussed in an extra section. The structure of the book allows the novice to get acquainted with the specifics of the technique needed to understand the more applied chapters in the second half of the volume. The expert reader will find a complete reference of the technique covering all important applications in several chapters written by the leading experts in the field. This includes imaging of biological samples, resist and precursor based nanofabrication, applications in semiconductor industry, using Helium as well as Neon and many more. The fundamental part allows the regular HIM user to deepen his understanding of the method. A final chapter by Bill Ward, one of the pioneers of HIM, covering the historical developments leading to the existing tool complements the content.