Status and new trends in FIB processing

In the last decade focused ion beams (FIB) became an irrecoverable instrument in research and industry. Sample preparation, local ion implantation and ion analysis are the main application topics. Most of the systems are equipped with a gallium liquid metal ion source (LMIS). But, modern trends in nanotechnology require more extended properties like variable ion species, non-contaminating milling at higher rates or higher lateral resolution in the field of ion microscopy.
In this contribution the status and application of new source concepts including prototypes will be reviewed in particular high current gas sources (ECR, ICP) for effective high rate milling, ion trap sources providing highly charged ions or used for SIMS applications as well as gas field ion sources for high resolution ion microscopy in the sub-nm range. Furthermore the use of alloy liquid metal ion sources and its characterization for mass separated FIB systems and ToF-SIMS applications will be presented.
New trends and prospective developments in FIB instrumentation will be discussed.