Building an Analyzing Focused Ion Beam for Nanotechnology

With the recent advances in nanotechnology we observe a growing need for nano-structuring, nano-manipulation, nano-analytic and nano-vision capabilities in one unique ‘multi-nano’ tool. We intend to design and build such an universal tool - FIBLYS - that will benefit the user in several ways:

First, new types of experiments will become easy to perform. Implementation of nano-scale manipulation, surface modification, imaging and analysis in one single instrument will represent a real breakthrough allowing simple operations in nanotechnology that are problematic or impossible nowadays.

Second, complementary use of several techniques will enable to analyze nanostructures just after their preparation or even during their production. Such an in-situ measurement in the same apparatus is not degraded by contamination and oxidation as in case of long separated production and control lines. Possible production defects are detected early and in some cases may even be corrected. FIBLYS is an interconnection of production, analysis and controlling. The user can control physical properties of prepared structures.

Third, even the user who may not intend to make use of the integrated tool to the full extent will profit. He can use the FIBLYS tool as one machine instead of two or more separate pieces of equipment (calculating e.g. the cost of operating several vacuum systems, loosing time and surface cleanliness during transportation of samples between pieces of equipment). The potential impact is obvious.