Application of Highly Focused Ion Beams

The impressive development of focused ion beam (FIB) systems
from the laboratory level to high performance industrial machines during
the last twenty years is briefly reported. The design and the functional
principle of a liquid metal ion source as well as a FIB column are described.
The main application fields of the FIB technology are discussed. More in
detail the Rossendorf FIB activities, like writing Co+ FIB implantation
in silicon to fabricate CoSi2 microstructures by ion beam synthesis and
the writing Ga+ FIB implantation to create a patterned etch stop during
a following anisotropic etching for micromechanical 3D structure fabrication
are presented.