Imaging and nanofabrication with the helium ion microscope of the Van Leeuwenhoek Laboratory in Delft.

Although helium ion microscopy (HIM) was introduced only a few years ago, many new application fields are emerging. The connecting factor between these novel applications is the unique interaction of the primary helium ion beam with the sample material at and just below its surface. In particular, the HIM secondary electron signal stems from an area that is extremely well localized around the point of incidence of the primary beam.

Nanopillar growth by focused helium ion-beam-induced deposition.

A 25 keV focused helium ion beam has been used to grow PtC nanopillars on a silicon substrate by beam-induced decomposition of a (CH(3))(3)Pt(C(P)CH(3)) precursor gas. The ion beam diameter was about 1 nm. The observed relatively high growth rates suggest that electronic excitation is the dominant mechanism in helium ion-beam-induced deposition.