Recent Developments in Focused Ion Beam and its Application in Nanotechnology

Background: Focused Ion Beam (FIB) nanofabrication technology has an important status in micro-nano manufacturing technology for its advantages of direct writing, nanoscale fabrication, SEM in-situ observation, high reproducibility, and 3D complex micro/nanofabriction, etc. This review aims to present some recent developments in Focused Ion Beam and its application in nanotechnology. Methods: The new developments of FIB equipment and their performance were introduced. The FIB fundamental research of ion-sample interaction, FIB application in material properties study at the micro/nanoscale and 3D nanostructures fabrication were presented and discussed. Results: Seventy papers were included in the review. The developments of new ion sources of Xe plasma FIB and helium ion (He+) microscopy and their performances were introduced, which can offer higher material removal rate of ~ 100 times faster than traditional Ga+ source FIB and fabrication of sub-10 nm scales structures, respectively. Then, the fundamental research of FIB induced modification on substrate material has studied by methods of microscopy characterization, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and FIB induced material redistribution (Rayleigh- Plateau instability). Finally, FIB application in material properties study at the micro/nanoscale and 3D nanostructures fabrication were discussed. Conclusion: The findings of this review confirm the importance of FIB nanofabrication and its applications in delicate 3D nanostructures, functional devices and material fundamental research, etc. With the developments of FIB advanced equipment and ion-sample interaction mechanism research, FIB technique can give more and more contributions to nanotechnology.