Multi-ion beam platform from ZEISS enables new solutions for the challenges faced in nanofabrication

At the Microscopy & Microanalysis trade show in Indianapolis, ZEISS ORION NanoFab received the 2013 Microscopy Today Innovation Award. Microscopy Today magazine annually presents this award to techniques and instruments that play a major role in progressing the field of microscopy.

ORION NanoFab is a nanofabrication tool that integrates helium, neon, and gallium focused ion beams on a single platform. The helium and neon ion beams are based on the gas field ion source (GFIS) technology. The same instrument also provides a traditional gallium focused ion beam (FIB), suited for massive removal of material and prototyping of structures that are not affected by gallium implantation. "ORION NanoFab is a truly multi-ion beam platform that allows users to choose from three ion beams (helium, neon, and gallium) depending on the application at hand. We are grateful for the recognition the product has received from Microscopy Today", states Dr. Mohan Ananth, Head of Product Management for ion microscopy at ZEISS.

For emerging applications where sub-10 nm feature size is critical or gallium implantation is a problem, users can switch to neon or helium ion beams in ORION NanoFab. When the nanofabrication is complete, samples can be imaged in high resolution in the same machine without removing the sample. ORION NanoFab allows researchers and companies to prototype devices in fewer steps and without contamination by using neon and helium ion beams. Results have been demonstrated for the following applications: nanopores for bioanalysis applications, graphene nanoribbon patterning, imaging of shale and coal for oil and gas recovery, ion beam lithography, plasmonic devices, and semiconductor circuit edit tasks.

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