Optics and Precision Engineering, Volume. 29, Issue 9, 2108(2021)

Verification of redeposition correction in focused ion beam milling by cellular automaton

Jie CHEN1,*... Bang-jun MA1, Xiao-long WANG1, Tian HAN2 and Jun-sheng LIAO1 |Show fewer author(s)
Author Affiliations
  • 1Institute of Materials, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang62908, China
  • 2College of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing11189, China
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    Redeposition is a common phenomenon in focused ion beam (FIB) sputtering, rendering the absence of a steep sidewall and actual processing size to be considerably different from the proposed design, particularly for high-aspect-ratio microstructures. To improve FIB microsputtering, a single-pixel line-assisted sputtering (SLAS) protocol based on local correction by additional sputtering is proposed to eliminate the redeposition effect and to significantly improve the perpendicularity of V-type sidewalls for a trench microstructure. A theoretical method based on a continuous cellular automaton (CCA) was utilized to simulate the redeposition effect and the perpendicularity improvement of V-type sidewalls upon the application of SLAS. Moreover, the CCA-based simulation suggested a contradiction between sidewall improvement and broadening of the ion beam spot. Further experiments demonstrated the validity of SLAS and confirmed the precise position of the SLAS area for achieving the best elimination of redepositing residue. Microtrenches of 100 nm in width were fabricated with satisfying steep sidewalls and a 3∶1 aspectratio. Generalizing this in situ elimination of redeposition in the field of FIB sputtering would be effective.

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    Jie CHEN, Bang-jun MA, Xiao-long WANG, Tian HAN, Jun-sheng LIAO. Verification of redeposition correction in focused ion beam milling by cellular automaton[J]. Optics and Precision Engineering, 2021, 29(9): 2108

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    Paper Information

    Category: Micro/Nano Technology and Fine Mechanics

    Received: Nov. 13, 2020

    Accepted: --

    Published Online: Nov. 22, 2021

    The Author Email: CHEN Jie (13981116015@163.com)

    DOI:10.37188/OPE.20212909.2108

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