The finely focused ion beam (FIB) is a very useful tool in nanotechnology and analytics. Until now, it has mainly been used to prepare samples for certain microscopy techniques, such as troubleshooting in the semiconductor industry.
But FIBs can do much more. The EU network project "Focused Ion Technology for Nanomaterials - FIT4NANO" initiated by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) aims to bring together research and companies from all over Europe to jointly develop the technology further and open up new applications.
A fine ion beam system is similar to a scanning electron microscope, only in this case ions are used instead of electrons. FIBs in the low energy range of less than 50 kiloelectronvolts are characterized by a small beam diameter in the nanometer and subnanometer range, a high current density and a wide range of usable ions. Due to these properties, focused ion beams have great potential for many other applications in nanotechnology. For example, they can be used to flexibly structure surfaces in the nanoscale or to change local material properties in a targeted manner. The technology could become significant for quantum technology, the semiconductor industry or the modification of two-dimensional or 2D materials - i.e. crystalline materials consisting of just one or a few layers of atoms or molecules. FIBs will also play an important role in medical applications in the future.
