Modern Trends in FIB Development

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 presentation the application of alloy LMIS in a mass separated FIB system is introduced as well as new source concepts will be reviewed including high current gas sources for effective milling, ion trap sources for highly charged ions or SIMS applications and high resolution gas field ion sources for ion microscopy in the sub-nm range.
New trends and possibilities in FIB employment will be discussed.