XT Nova Nanolab 200    Focused Ion Beam XP200

XT Nova Nanolab 200:

The xT Nova NanoLab 200 combines a dual beam high resolution focussed ion beam (Ga FIB) and a high resolution scanning electron microscope. It is equipped with platinium deposition system, an iodine enhanced etching and a SiOx deposition. The FIB uses a fine, energetic beam of gallium ions that scan over the surface of a specimen. At high beam currents the gallium beam rapidly sputters away the specimen surface which allows subsurface cross-sections to be prepared. If the beam current is reduced, the secondary electrons, or secondary ions emitted from the specimen surface, can be detected and used to form high resolution images. The FIB is therefore widely used in the examination of materials such as semiconductors, solar cells, thin films, where structural information about the subsurface is required. The FIB can be used for nanomilling very thin (~100nm) sections, suitable for TEM examination, of traditionally challenging materials such as semiconductors, internally oxidized steels and powder materials. The xT Nova NanoLab 200 is equipped with several detectors including a STEM (scanning transmission electron microscope). The operating software provides means for three dimensional reconstruction of microstructures as well as automated software for the preparation of TEM specimens.

Descriptions: The xT Nova NanoLab 200 Dualbeam was installed in 2004 and is a flagship instrument of the NANO MNRF (hyperlink to www.nano.org.au). In a single instrument platform it combines a high resolution focused ion beam (Ga⁺ FIB) and a high resolution scanning electron microscope. The FIB uses a fine, energetic beam of gallium ions which is scanned over the surface of a specimen. A key interaction of the ion beam with the specimen is that sputtering of surface material occurs allowing the exposure of sub-surface features or the performing of machining with precision < 100 nm. The ion beam can also be used to form high resolution images of the specimen if low beam currents are employed to minimise the sputtering effect. For this purpose though, imaging using the electron beam is often more appropriate as negligible beam damage is caused to most specimens and higher resolution imaging can be obtained.

Key instrument capabilities

• Nanomachining/ fabrication and TEM specimen prep
  

With an ion beam probe size as small as 10 nm the Dualbeam can be utilised to mill or fabricate structures in metallic, semiconducting and even insulating materials with high precision. Additionally the FIB may be used to prepare thin electron transparent (<100 nm) material sections for investigation in the TEM (Transmission Electron Microscope). Examples of such materials where FIB has been utilised are magnetic thin films, semiconductors, photonics, advanced alloys, internally oxidised steels and powders.

• 2D & 3D microscopy

The Dualbeam may be used as a high resolution scanning microscope for the investigation of material surfaces and sub-surfaces. An extremely exciting application however is its abilty to produce data sets for 3-dimensional microscopy. Such datasets are produced using both the electron and ion beams to perform serial slicing and imaging of material cross-sections. This allows tomographic reconstruction of the dataset yielding 3D representations of the structural feature of interest. 3D visualisation of material structural features often allows an enhanced understanding of the physical processes which led to their creation. This technique can be applied to structural features in the size range ~100 nm to 50 um.

View some of the 3D reconstructions we have performed(hyperlink)

• Microanalytical investigation

The high resolution electron column on the Dualbeam has been coupled with EDS (X-ray) and EBSD detectors. The former is used to acquire X-ray emission spectra for materials enabling elemental compositional and quantitative analyis. The latter detector is used to examine the crystal structure of materials, analysing crystallographic orientation and phase type.

Click here: Operating Instructions for the Dual Beam , EBSD and Auto TEM

For further information on the use of this instrument please contact Charlie Kong or Sean Lim.

Focused Ion Beam XP200:

The FEI XP200 focused ion beam miller uses a fine, energetic beam of gallium ions that scan over the surface of a specimen. At high beam currents the gallium beam rapidly sputters away the specimen surface that allows subsurface cross-sections to be prepared. If the beam current is reduced, the secondary electrons or secondary ions emitted from the specimen surface, can be detected and used to form high resolution images. The FIB is therefore widely used in the examination of materials such as semiconductors, solar cells, thin films, where structural information about the subsurface is required. The FIB can also be used to mill very thin (~100nm) section, suitable for TEM examination, of traditionally challenging materials such as semiconductor cross-sections, internally oxidized steels and powder materials.

Click here: Operating Instructions for the FIB

For further information about the use of the FIB please contact Katie Levick, Yun Lin, Sean Lim or Paul Munroe.