Using FIB for materials science and failure analysis

The Focused Ion Beam (FIB) technology has become an indispensable tool in the development, manufacture, and failure analysis of microelectronic devices in recent years. Since the ion beam allows to manufacture, modify or etch conducting or insulating structures of about 20 nm to 100 mum in an efficient way, depending on the use of reaction gases, FIB's open up new prospects in materials science and, in particular, the target preparation of TEM lamellae which is indispensable in the micro- and nanotechnologies. In this context, FIB technology also makes it possible to prepare samples with phases of extremely different hardnesses without smearing or producing artifacts, but it has to be noted that the ion beam amorphizes some atomic layers at the surface. A combination of an electron column and an ion column within an advanced dual beam FIB will minimize possible defects. We first provide a description of the specific properties of the ion beam and the FIB set-up and will then report about a range of applications in materials- and bio-science as well as in micro- and nanoelectronics.