Clive D. Chandler

Gallium-Induced Milling of Silicon: A Computational Investigation of Focused Ion Beams

Molecular dynamics simulations are performed to model milling via a focused ion beam ~FIB! .T he goal of this investigation is to examine the fundamental dynamics associated with the use of FIBs, as well as the phenomena that govern the early stages of trench formation during the milling process. Using a gallium beam to bombard a silicon surface, the extent of lateral damage ~atomic displacement! caused by the beam at incident energies of both 2 and 30 keV is examined. These simulations indicate that the lateral damage is several times larger than the beam itself and that the mechanism responsible for the formation of a V-shaped trench is due to both the removal of surface material, and the lateral and horizontal migration of subsurface silicon atoms toward the vacuum/crater interface. The results presented here provide complementary information to experimental images of trenches created during milling with FIBs.

Kinetics of gas mediated electron beam induced etching

Electron beam induced etching (EBIE) is a high resolution, direct write, chemical dry etch process in which surface-adsorbed precursor molecules are activated by an electron beam. We show that nanoscale EBIE is rate limited through at least two mechanisms ascribed to adsorbate depletion and the transport of gaseous precursor molecules into an etch pit during etching, respectively. The latter has, to date, not been accounted for in models of EBIE and is needed to reproduce etch kinetics which govern the time-evolution of etch pits, EBIE throughput, and spatial resolution.