Ion sources, systems and methods

• US 7,557,358 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2006
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alis Corp. (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Alis Corp. (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Notte, John A. IV, Hill, Raymond, Farkas, Louis S. III, Ward, Billy W., Percival, Randall G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wells; Nikita
• Application Number:
  US11/599,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20070158581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 250/423.F, 250/423.R, 250/424, 250/426, 250/492.21, 250/492.2
• US Class Current: 250/423.00F
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/0807 Gas field ion sources [GFIS]
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/202 Movement
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/20228 Mechanical X-Y scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/2566 ion
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/2623 Field-emission microscopes
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/2812 Emission microscopes
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/30438 Registration
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/3174 Etching microareas
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/31755 using ion beams
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 27/02 Ion sources; Ion guns for examination or processing discharge tubes H01J37/08; ion sources, ion guns for particle spectrometer or separator tubes H01J49/10; ion propulsion F03H1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 27/26 using surface ionisation, e.g. field effect ion sources, thermionic ion sources H01J27/20, H01J27/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/08 Ion sources; Ion guns
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/20 Means for supporting or positioning the objects or the material; Means for adjusting diaphragms or lenses associated with the support introducing the objects H01J37/18
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/252 Tubes for spot-analysing by electron or ion beams; Microanalysers
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/28 with scanning beams H01J37/268, H01J37/292, H01J37/2955 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3056 for microworking, e.g. etching of gratings, trimming of electrical components trimming of resistors H01C17/22
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3174 Particle-beam lithography, e.g. electron beam lithography

Abstract

Ion sources, systems and methods are disclosed.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an ion source capable of interacting with a gas to generate an ion beam that can interact with a sample to cause multiple different types of particles to leave the sample; and

at least one detector configured to detect at least two different types of particles of the multiple different types of particles,

wherein the multiple different types of particles are selected from the group consisting of secondary electrons, Auger electrons, secondary ions, secondary neutral particles, primary neutral particles, scattered ions and photons.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an electronic processor electrically connected to the at least one detector so that, during use, the electronic processor can process information based on the detected particles to determine information about the sample, the information being selected from the group consisting of topographical information about a surface of the sample, material constituent information of a surface of the sample, material constituent information about a sub-surface region of the sample, crystalline information about the sample, voltage contrast information about a surface of the sample, voltage contrast information about a sub-surface region of the sample, magnetic information about the sample, and optical information about the sample.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the ion source comprises a gas field ion source.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the ion source comprises a gas field ion source.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a device electrically connected within the system so that, during use, the ion beam is pulsed.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a time of flight sub-system configured so that, during use, the time of flight sub-system can measure time of flight information of the particles.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a time of flight sub-system configured so that, during use, the time of flight sub-system can measure time of flight information of the particles.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein, during use the ion beam impinges on a first surface of the sample, and the at least one detector is located adjacent to a second surface of the sample, the second surface being opposite the first surface.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the ion beam has a reduced etendue of 1×

10<sup>−

16</sup> cm²srV or less.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the ion beam has an etendue of 5×

10<sup>−

21</sup> cm²sr or less.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the ion beam has a reduced brightness at a surface of the sample of 5×

10⁸ A/m²srV or more.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the ion beam has a brightness at a surface of the sample of 1×

10⁹ A/cm²sr or more.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the ion beam has a spot size with a dimension of 10 nm or less at a surface of the sample.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is a gas field ion microscope.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is a helium ion microscope.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is a scanning ion microscope.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is a scanning helium ion microscope.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the gas field ion source comprises an electrically conductive tip having a terminal shelf with 20 atoms or less.

19. A method, comprising:

interacting an ion beam with a sample to cause multiple different types of particles to leave the sample; and

detecting at least two different types of particles of the multiple different types of particles,

wherein the multiple different types of particles are selected from the group consisting of secondary electrons, Auger electrons, secondary ions, secondary neutral particles, primary neutral particles, scattered ions and photons.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising determining, based on the detected particles, information about the sample selected from the group consisting of topographical information about a surface of the sample, material constituent information of a surface of the sample, material constituent information about a sub-surface region of the sample, crystalline information about the sample, voltage contrast information about a surface of the sample, voltage contrast information about a sub-surface region of the sample, magnetic information about the sample, and optical information about the sample.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the ion beam is generated via an interaction between a gas and a gas field ion source.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the ion beam is generated via an interaction between a gas and a gas field ion source.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the method comprises pulsing the ion beam.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising measuring time of flight information of the detected particles.

27. The method of claim 19, further comprising measuring time of flight information of the detected particles.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein the ion beam impinges on a first surface of the sample, and a detector used to detect the particles is located adjacent to a second surface of the sample, the second surface being opposite the first surface.

29. The method of claim 19, wherein the ion beam has a reduced etendue of 1×

10<sup>−

16</sup> cm²srV or less.

30. The method of claim 19, wherein the ion beam has an etendue of 5×

10<sup>−

21</sup> cm²sr or less.

31. The method of claim 19, wherein the ion beam has a reduced brightness at a surface of the sample of 5×

10⁸ A/m²srV or more.

32. The method of claim 19, wherein the ion beam has a brightness at a surface of the sample of 1×

10⁹ A/cm²sr or more.

33. The method of claim 19, wherein the ion beam has a spot size with a dimension of 10 nm or less at a surface of the sample.

34. The method of claim 19, wherein the method is performed using a gas field ion microscope.

35. The method of claim 19, wherein the method is performed using is a helium ion microscope.

36. The method of claim 19, wherein the method is performed using is a scanning ion microscope.

37. The method of claim 19, wherein the method is performed using is a scanning helium ion microscope.

38. The method of claim 19, wherein the method can distinguish atoms in the sample having atomic numbers that differ by one.

39. The method of claim 19, wherein the method can distinguish atoms in the sample having masses that differ by one atomic mass unit.

20. A method, comprising:

generating an ion beam by interacting a gas with a gas field ion source;

interacting the ion beam with a sample to cause particles to leave the sample, the particles being selected from the group consisting of Auger electrons, secondary ions, secondary neutral particles, primary neutral particles, scattered ions and photons; and

detecting at least some of the particles to determine information about the sample.

40. The method of claim 20, wherein the information about the sample is selected from the group consisting of topographical information about a surface of the sample, material constituent information of a surface of the sample, material constituent information about a sub-surface region of the sample, crystalline information about the sample, voltage contrast information about a surface of the sample, voltage contrast information about a sub-surface region of the sample, magnetic information about the sample, and optical information about the sample.

41. The method of claim 20, wherein the method comprises pulsing the ion beam.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising measuring time of flight information of the detected particles.

43. The method of claim 20, further comprising measuring time of flight information of the detected particles.

44. The method of claim 20, wherein the ion beam impinges on a first surface of the sample, and a detector used to detect the particles is located adjacent to a second surface of the sample, the second surface being opposite the first surface.

45. The method of claim 20, wherein the ion beam has a reduced etendue of 1×

10<sup>−

16</sup> cm²srV or less.

46. The method of claim 20, wherein the ion beam has an etendue of 5×

10<sup>−

21</sup> cm²sr or less.

47. The method of claim 20, wherein the ion beam has a reduced brightness at a surface of the sample of 5×

10⁸ A/m²srV or more.

48. The method of claim 20, wherein the ion beam has a brightness at a surface of the sample of 1×

10⁹ A/cm²sr or more.

49. The method of claim 20, wherein the ion beam has a spot size with a dimension of 10 nm or less at a surface of the sample.

50. The method of claim 20, wherein the method is performed using a gas field ion microscope.

51. The method of claim 20, wherein the method is performed using is a helium ion microscope.

52. The method of claim 20, wherein the method is performed using is a scanning ion microscope.

53. The method of claim 20, wherein the method is performed using is a scanning helium ion microscope.

54. The method of claim 20, wherein the method can distinguish atoms in the sample having atomic numbers that differ by one.

55. The method of claim 20, wherein the method can distinguish atoms in the sample having masses that differ by one atomic mass unit.

21. A system, comprising:

a gas field ion source capable of interacting with a gas to generate an ion beam that can interact with a sample to cause particles to leave the sample, the particles being selected from the group consisting of Auger electrons, secondary ions, secondary neutral particles, primary neutral particles, scattered ions and photons; and

at least one detector configured so that, during use, the at least one detector detects at least some of the particles to determine information about the sample.

56. The system of claim 21, wherein the information about the sample is selected from the group consisting of topographical information about a surface of the sample, material constituent information of a surface of the sample, material constituent information about a sub-surface region of the sample, crystalline information about the sample, voltage contrast information about a surface of the sample, voltage contrast information about a sub-surface region of the sample, magnetic information about the sample, and optical information about the sample.

57. The system of claim 21, further comprising an electronic processor electrically connected to the at least one detector so that, during use, the electronic processor can process information based on the detected particles to determine the information about the sample.

58. The system of claim 21, further comprising a device electrically connected within the system so that, during use, the ion beam is pulsed.

59. The system of claim 58, further comprising a time of flight sub-system configured so that, during use, the time of flight sub-system can measure time of flight information of the particles.

60. The system of claim 21, further comprising a time of flight sub-system configured so that, during use, the time of flight sub-system can measure time of flight information of the particles.

61. The system of claim 21, wherein, during use the ion beam impinges on a first surface of the sample, and at least one of the detectors is located adjacent to a second surface of the sample, the second surface being opposite the first surface.

62. The system of claim 21, wherein the ion beam has a reduced etendue of 1×

10<sup>−

16</sup> cm²srV or less.

63. The system of claim 21, wherein the ion beam has an etendue of 5×

10<sup>−

21</sup> cm²sr or less.

64. The system of claim 21, wherein the ion beam has a reduced brightness at a surface of the sample of 5×

10 ⁸A/m²srV or more.

65. The system of claim 21, wherein the ion beam has a brightness at a surface of the sample of 1×

10⁹ A/cm²sr or more.

66. The system of claim 21, wherein the ion beam has a spot size with a dimension of 10 nm or less at a surface of the sample.

67. The system of claim 21, wherein the system is a gas field ion microscope.

68. The system of claim 21, wherein the system is a helium ion microscope.

69. The system of claim 21, wherein the system is a scanning ion microscope.

70. The system of claim 21, wherein the system is a scanning helium ion microscope.

71. The system of claim 21, wherein the gas field ion source comprises an electrically conductive tip having a terminal shelf with 20 atoms or less.