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The application of Focused Ion Beams (FIB) has become a well-established and promising technique for patterning and prototyping on the nm-scale in research and development. Light ions in the range of m = 1 … 28 u (hydrogen to silicon) are of increasing interest due to the available high beam resolution in the nm range and their special chemical and physical behavior in the substrate. In this work helium and neon ion beams from a Helium Ion Microscope (HIM) are compared with ion beams like beryllium, lithium, boron, carbon and silicon obtained from a mass separated FIB using Liquid Metal Alloy Ion Sources (LMAIS) with respect to their imaging and milling resolution.

Today Focused Ion Beam (FIB) processing is nearly exclusively based on gallium Liquid Metal Ion Sources (LMIS). But, many applications in the µm- or nm range could benefit from ion species other than gallium: local ion implantation, ion beam mixing, ion beam synthesis or Focused Ion Beam Lithography (IBL). Therefore Liquid Metal Alloy Ion Sources (LMAIS) represent a promising alternative to expand remarkable the application fields for FIB. Especially the IBL process shows potential advantages over e.g. electron beam (EBL) or other lithography techniques: direct, resistless, and three-dimensional patterning, enabling a simultaneous in-situ process control by cross sectioning and inspection. Taking additionally into account that the used ion species influence significantly the physical and chemical nature of the resulting nanostructures -in particular the electrical, optical, magnetic and mechanic properties- leading to a large potential application area which can be tuned by choosing a well suited LMAIS. Nearly half of the elements of the Periodic Table are recently available in FIB technology as a result of continuous research in this area during the last forty years. Key features of a LMAIS are long life-time, high brightness and stable ion current. Recent developments could make these sources feasible for nano patterning issues as an alternative technology more in research than in industry. The authors will review existing LMAIS, working with pure elements (LMIS) other than Ga or binary or ternary alloys, their physical properties as well as the fabrication technology and prospective domains for modern FIB applications. Other emerging ion sources will be also presented and their performances discussed.

At this time Focused Ion Beam (FIB) technology is dominated by gallium Liquid Metal Ion Sources (LMIS). But, despite new developments like He/Ne ion microscopes or Xe-FIBs many applications in the µm- or nm range could benefit from ion species other than gallium or noble gases: local ion implantation, ion beam mixing, ion beam synthesis or even Focused Ion Beam Lithography. For this special use cases Liquid Metal Alloy Ion Sources (LMAIS) represent a promising alternative to expand the remarkable application fields for FIB [1]. Switching between the certain species obtained from a chosen alloy using an ExB mass filter in the ion optical column can be applied to change significantly different physical and chemical characteristics of the resulting nanostructures. In other words the electrical, optical, magnetic and/or mechanic properties can be tuned. This offers a large application potential by choosing a well suited LMAIS. Now nearly half of the elements of the Periodic Table are available in FIB technology. Main properties of a modern LMAIS should be long life-time, high brightness and stable ion current emission. This contribution will involve the physical basics and experimental results of LMAIS, their physical properties and questions of the preparation technology for elementary as well as binary and ternary alloys as source material. Furthermore selected applications of these sources in highly focused beams are given feasible for nano patterning issues as an alternative technology more in research than in industry. [1] L. Bischoff, P. Mazarov, L. Bruchhaus, and J. Gierak, Liquid metal alloy ion sources—An alternative for focused ion beam, Appl. Phys. Rev. 3 (2016) 021101.

Presently Focused Ion Beam (FIB) processing is dominated by gallium Liquid Metal Ion Sources (LMIS). But, beside new developments in this field like He/Ne ion microscopes or Xe-FIBs many applications in the µm- or nm range could benefit from ion species other than gallium or noble gases: local ion implantation, ion beam mixing, ion beam synthesis or even Focused Ion Beam Lithography. Therefore Liquid Metal Alloy Ion Sources (LMAIS) represent a promising alternative to expand the remarkable application fields for FIB [1,2]. Simple switching between the certain ion species using an ExB mass filter can be applied to change significantly the physical and chemical nature of the resulting nanostructures -in other words the electrical, optical, magnetic and mechanic properties. This offers a large application potential which can be tuned by choosing a well suited LMAIS. Now nearly half of the elements of the Periodic Table are available in FIB technology. Main properties of a modern LMAIS are long life-time, high brightness and stable ion current. This contribution will cover the physical basics and experimental results of LMAIS, their physical properties (I-V characteristics, energy spread) and questions of the preparation technology using elementary as well as binary and ternary alloys as source material. Furthermore selected applications will be presented to underline the impact of these sources in modern nanotechnology by highly focused ion beams. Recent developments could make these sources feasible for nano patterning issues as an alternative technology more in research than in industry. References [1] L. Bischoff: “Application of mass-separated focused ion beams in nano-technology”, Nucl. Instr. Meth. B 266 (2008), 1846. DOI:10.1016/j.nimb.2007.12.008 [2] L. Bischoff, P. Mazarov, L. Bruchhaus, and J. Gierak: „Liquid Metal Alloy Ion Sources - An Alternative for Focused Ion Beam Technology” , Appl. Phys. Rev. 3 (2016) 021101-1-30 [3] L. Bischoff and Ch. Akhmadaliev: “An alloy liquid metal ion source for lithium”, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 41 (2008) 052001. DOI:10.1088/0022-3727/41/5/052001

This is a comprehensive study of the characteristics of an AuGeSi and CoNd liquid metal alloy ion sources [Focused ion beams from liquid metal ion sources, 1991]. Such characteristics include current–voltage curves and ion beam mass-spectra. A careful investigation has been undertaken where the temperature is one of the main variable experimental parameters. Theoretical models support the experimental results.

Self-assembled Si(Ge) quantum dots (QDs) may prove useful in future nanoelectronic device architectures. For this, they must be spatially arranged in specific patterns and possess the electronic or magnetic properties required for device operation. Previous work demonstrated Ga+ focused ion beam (FIB) templating of Si surfaces prior to epitaxial growth for fabricating patterned QDs with any desired complexity.1, 2 Our current research employs a mass-selecting FIB to template QD structures and to individually dope them. Ion species can be selected according to isotope mass and charge state using a Wien filter. Working with suitable liquid metal alloy ion sources (LMISs) provides the means to template with electrically non-invasive ions (e.g. Si+ from AuSi), then implant dopant ions for electronic or magnetic activation (e.g. with B+ from AsPdB or Mn+ from GeMn), with resolution of tens of nm and doses down to a few ions per dot.

The study of AuSi liquid metal alloy ion sources (LMAIs) for the production of Si ions is not new. However, the present work encompasses in a concise form almost all fundamental aspects of source behaviour, in particular of a Au82Si18 source. A key finding, manifested in the behaviour of the ion extraction voltage with temperature, is the abnormal behaviour of the surface tension coefficient of the alloy with temperature. An important deduction, however, concerns the mechanisms responsible for the creation of doubly charged ions: reasons of self-consistency suggest that while Si++ is directly field-evaporated, Au++ must form by the post-ionization of Au+. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.