Overview

The Carl Zeiss Auriga FIB, is a combined Ga+ focused ion beam and electron beam microscopy tool, outfitted with a 2.5 nm diameter Cobra column supplied by Orsay Physics.
Main Features:
• Field emission scanning electron microscope
• 2.5 nm diameter focused ion beam probe
• 6 axis motorized high precision super eucentric stage
• Electron beam lithography
• Nano patterning, sectioning, cross-sectioning and implantation by focused ion beam.
• TEM cross section sample preparation
• Platinum deposition

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Location:

CRANN, TCD

Case Study

The FIB was used to pattern 5 nm thick films of ferromagnetic NiFe on silicon substrates, into planar circuit–like wire structures with deep sub-micron feature resolution for spintronics applications. Using a 10 pA beam of 30 keV Ga+ ions, the thin magnetic film was subtractively milled from the substrate, leaving behind a test structure to be characterised, which was magnetically isolated from the rest of the NiFe film.

The resultant structure, ferromagnetic at room temperature, was used to investigate the field controlled propagation of domain walls for data storage and logic applications. The test structures were subsequently characterised magneto-optically.

Due to the rapid, dry lithographic technique, without the need for and post irradiation processing steps, the FIB acts as a rapid proto-typing or characterisation tool, and many iterations of test structures can be fabricated in a short turn-around time. This is a major advantage over other nano-lithography techniques such as electron beam lithography.