Ion Beam Milling System

该研究工具和仪器（RTI）资助提案的目的是购买离子铣削系统，用于微机电系统（MEMS），毫米波和光电子学领域的应用。 离子铣削系统是任何微加工设备中的关键加工工具。该系统对于选择性地去除不能使用常规等离子体蚀刻技术蚀刻的薄膜材料（诸如Pt、Pd、Au等）是非常有益的。该工具将装配有电馈通以在离子暴露步骤之间询问待蚀刻的器件。该系统将有助于研究将我们的芯片级MEMS原子力显微镜（AFM）与所需工具集成的新概念，以提供前所未有的精度和分辨率的原位计量和终点检测。 因此，该工具将不仅用于满足我们的蚀刻需求，但也调查的可能性，通过使用原位原子力显微镜提高离子铣削技术的性能。

The purpose of this Research Tool and Instruments (RTI) grant proposal is to purchase an Ion Milling System for applications in the field of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), millimeter-wave, and opto-electronics. The Ion Milling System is a key processing tool in any micro-fabrication facility. This system is highly beneficial for selectively removing thin film materials that cannot be etched using conventional plasma etch techniques such as Pt, Pd, Au, etc. The tool will be fitted with an electrical feedthrough to interrogate the device to be etched between ion exposure steps. The system will be instrumental in investigating the novel concept of integrating our chip-scale MEMS-based atomic force microscopes (AFM) with the requested tool to provide in-situ metrology and end point detection with unprecedented accuracy and resolution. Thus, the tool will be used not only to meet our etching needs but also to investigate the possibilities of enhancing the performance of ion milling techniques through the use of in-situ AFM.