Modelling of focused ion beam induced increases in sample temperature: a case study of heat damage in biological samples

Summary Ion beam induced heat damage in soft materials and biological samples is not yet well understood in Focused Ion Beam systems (FIBs). The work presented here discusses the physics behind the ion beam - sample interactions and the effects which lead to increases in sample temperature and potential heat damage. A model by which heat damage can be estimated and which allows parameters to be determined that reduce/prevent heat damage was derived from Fourier's law of heat transfer and compared to finite element simulations, numerical modelling results and experiments. The results suggests that ion beam induced heat damage can be prevented/minimised by reducing the ion beam current (local dose rate), decreasing the beam overlap (reduced local ion dose) and by introducing a blur (increased surface cross-section area, reduced local dose) while sputtering, patterning or imaging soft material and nonresin-embedded biological samples using FIBs. LAY DESCRIPTION FIB/SEMs, which combine a scanning electron microscope with a focused ion beam in a single device, have found increasing interest biological research. The device allows to cut samples at precisely selected areas and reveal sub surface information as well as preparing transmission electron microscope samples from bulk materials. Preparing biological samples has proven to be challenging due to the induced heat damage. This work explores the physics behind the sample cutting and proposes a model and a method, based on physical principles which allows the user to estimate the induced heat during the cutting process and to select cutting parameters which avoid heat damage in the sample.