Characterization of Focused Ion Beam Milled Lines

As the nanotechnology is becoming an important aspect of science research and development, the application of the focused ion beam (FIB) technique is getting more attention. The focused ion beam is a tool for milling tiny objects. This research explored the characterization of FIB by relating milled line widths with their milling time. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) is used to image the milled lines and ImageJ to analyze the images. We found that the through-lensdetector (TLD) provides the best SEM image by reducing the shadowing effect which interfered with the data analysis. A logarithmic relation between the milled line width and milling time was determined. These presented results can help scientists design a FIB milling experiment in the future. Yingshi Guo Department of Physics, Linfield College, McMinnville, OR.