Dresden 2017 – scientific programme
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O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik
O 17: Scanning Probe Techniques: Method Development II
O 17.3: Talk
Monday, March 20, 2017, 16:15–16:30, TRE Phy
Controlled Nanometer Layer Ablation by Diamond AFM tips in a hybrid SEM/AFM — •Frank Hitzel1 and Jason Kilpatrick2 — 1Semilab Germany GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany — 2Adama Innovations, Dublin, Ireland
Combined Scanning Electron Microscope / Focused Ion Beam (SEM/FIB) systems are nowadays an established and stable technology for precise nanometer manipulation / cutting and in-depth analysis of structures. Nevertheless, the electrical properties of the areas manipulated by FIB strongly change because of implanted Gallium atoms.
In such situations, another technique has been recently evolving, often called "scalpel AFM". Here, typically a diamond tip is scanned with predefined force over a sample surface, removing in a controlled way a few atomic layers of the sample material. Like FIB treatment, this gives access to the layers buried below the surface. But in contrast to FIB treatment, these layers are not contaminated by Ga atoms opening up the possibility for electrical characterization.
The hybrid SEM/AFM enables live imaging of the modified area and gives exceptional control of the ablation process, which is to some extend similar to scratching with a screw driver in a clay layer. Similar to FIB tomography, the combination enables the possibility to switch between SEM imaging and the ablation process, resulting in a 3 dimensional image of the manipulated surface.