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Superior imaging resolution in scanning helium-ion microscopy: A look at beam-sample interactions

J. Appl. Phys. 104, 063504 (2008); doi:10.1063/1.2976299

Published 16 September 2008

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David Cohen-Tanugi and Nan Yao
Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials, Princeton University, New Jersey 08544, USA
Scanning helium-ion microscopy (SHIM) offers high-resolution imaging at the subnanometer scale. We employ Monte Carlo simulations to show the characteristics of the beam-sample interaction involved in SHIM, and compare it with those of scanning electron microscopy and scanning gallium-ion microscopy. We discuss the electronic and nuclear stopping powers and demonstrate that helium ions in matter possess a distinctive “electronic loss phase” in which inelastic collisions strongly dominate. This allows for large penetration depth, localized secondary electron emission, and high signal-to-noise ratio. We investigate the energy dependence of the interaction volume and show that for SHIM, spatial resolution can be further increased with energies beyond the customary 30  keV level. This paper provides a better understanding of the physics of SHIM and its conditions for high performance. ©2008 American Institute of Physics
History: Received 12 March 2008; accepted 15 July 2008; published 16 September 2008
Permalink: http://link.aip.org/link/?JAPIAU/104/063504/1
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KEYWORDS and PACS

Keywords
PACS
  • 79.20.Rf
    Atomic, molecular and ion beam impact and interactions with surfaces
  • 79.20.Hx
    Electron-surface impact: secondary emission
  • 68.49.Sf
    Ion scattering from surfaces
  • YEAR: 2008

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PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN:
0021-8979 (print)   1089-7550 (online)
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REFERENCES (22)
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