ORION Plus Helium Ion Microscope Allows Research in Nano-Fabrication

Researchers are exploring the applications of Helium Ion microscopy in the field of nano-patterning. The Helium Ion technology has the potential to become a useful alternative in printing finer features.

Carl Zeiss’ ORION Plus Helium Ion Microscope is effective in imaging soft materials and uncoated insulating samples with a sub-nanometer resolution of less than 0.35 nm. The development of the ORION instruments has allowed industrial R&D and academic microscopists, to expand the application ranges for the inclusion of nano-fabrication technique.

Scientists have successfully patterned 5 nm dots on a pitch of 14 nm dimensions. Other research teams have shown delineated L-bar lines in a HSQ resist. The short range of the secondary electrons, which are triggered by ions, in resist materials, and the microscope’s large depth of field, allow the possibility of this pattern fidelity. The patterns defined by the Helium-ions in HSQ are easily acquired without the process window constraints found with the traditional e-beam and optical lithography.