FIB (Focused Ion Beam) Applications

Circuit Edit & Device Modification

Secondary Electron vs. Secondary Ion FIB imaging Modes - Part I

Having multiple detector types on the same tool can be useful for a variety of reasons, but the yield and what is subsequently revealed will...

Material Science

FIB Sectioning & Imaging of Powders and Particulates FIB cross-sectioning and imaging of Ni powders. In both cases the powders were sprinkled on conductive carbon tape and any excess was blown off. No coating, embedding,...	Site-specific TEM Specimen Preparation of Grain Boundary Corrosion in Nickel-Based Alloys Using the FIB "Plan-View Lift-Out" Technique Use of the focused ion beam (FIB) microscope allows site-specific specimen preparation for TEM analyses in a routine manner not realizable with any other technique....	FIB Sectioning and Imaging of Painted, Galvanized Autobody Steel This section illustrates the relative insensitivity of FIB sectioning to variations in specimen density and hardness. Here, a relatively soft, polymeric paint layer with particle reinforcement covers...
Sectioning through an Aluminum Beverage Can and Polymer Label This FIB image shows a FIB cross-section into an aluminum beverage can, tilted to 45 degrees and imaged in the FIB in secondary electron mode....	Using FIB Secondary Ion Images to Observe the Presence of Corrosion Comparative FIB images of a crack in pipeline steel are shown, acquired using secondary electron and secondary ion signals. The ion image (inset) highlights the...	Focused Ion Beam TEM Specimen Preparation of Oxide Films on Zirconium-based Alloys Precision, "stress-free" FIB sectioning can be used to prepare EELS thin TEM cross-sections of "challenging" specimens, such as this surface oxide grown in 300 degrees...
STEM - EDX Analysis of Arsenic Doping Around Trench Capacitor Cells The feasibility of using EDX in a FEG TEM to measure the arsenic dopant concentration in a modern semiconductor device was examined and the results...	TEM Image of a Microprocessor Prepared by FIB This is a transmission electron microscope image of a section of a microprocessor. The cross-section was prepared using a FIB to precisely section the...	FIB Sectioning & Imaging of Nickel Metal Foam Used in Rechargeable Batteries The positive electrodes in Ni-based rechargeable batteries are a complex composite consisting essentially of a mixture of fine powders of Ni and Ni(OH)2 that are...
Sectioning and Imaging Battery Electrodes Without Mechanical Pre-Preparation FIB sectioning can sometimes be accomplished without the need for mechanical pre-preparation, as is shown here in a FIB secondary electron image taken at the...	FIB SE Imaging of a FIB Cross-section through the Surface of 200 ISO Colour Photographic Film This FIB secondary electron image shows a FIB cross-section of a sample of color photographic film. No special specimen preparation was required; a piece of...	Investigating Surface Corrosion on Stainless Steel: Painlessly Linking Surface Features to Subsurface Morphology Without the need for external specimen preparation, this FIB cross-section reveals the state of stainless steel after testing for several hours in a corrosive environment...

Nanofabrication & Nanoprototyping using FIB

Steps in TEM Specimen Preparation by "Lift-out" Method

The "lift-out" technique has numerous qualities that make it attractive to industry when requiring TEM analysis. The total fabrication time for a site specific TEM...

Nanofabrication and Microfabrication using a Focused Ion Beam (FIB)

The precise sectioning and imaging capabilities of focused ion beam (FIB) milling, combined with its ability to etch complex patterns (including bitmapped images), make focused...

Milling Microfluidic Channels into Silicon using a Focused Ion Beam (FIB)

Fluids constrained into micrometer scale structures behave differently than fluids flowing into a macro-scale environment, like water into a copper pipe. Microfluidics, with applications in...

Failure analysis

Study of Stress Corrosion Cracking in Pipeline Steel

Precision FIB sectioning of a pipeline steel stress corrosion crack (SCC) allows measurement of the crack's length and depth. High magnification images of the FIBeamed...