Integrated Plasma Source Focused Ion Beam with Scanning Electron Microscope

这项提议寻求在萨里郡建立一个最先进的等离子FIB--这是英国第二个这样的仪器。该系统将能够以纳米级的受控方式去除材料。这将使纳米结构的制造具有广泛的用途，从量子设备到微观机械试件。PFIB配备了扫描电子显微镜，以便以受控的方式去除材料，从而可以建立侵蚀区域的三维图像。这是一种微观尺度的层析成像，使人们能够成像亚表面特征，如金属合金中的夹杂物、微电子器件中各层之间的相互渗透或金属中第二相粒子周围的腐蚀。纳米加工是PFIB将表现良好的另一项活动，生产出定义良好的几何形状和/或厚度的样品，其长度从几十纳米(电子透明样品的厚度)到略低于一毫米不等。这种样品一旦制造出来，就可以用透射电子显微镜或二次离子质谱仪等表面分析技术进行检查。因此，此次设备招标将提供一种新的能力，对EPSRC投资组合的几个主题和许多子主题产生深远影响，显着加强萨里郡和英国各地合作者的现有研究，并开辟新的研究可能性。目前很少有单一的仪器可以应用于如此多的科学和工程研究领域。材料研究是八大技术之一，也是当前政府的优先事项，到目前为止是最明显的受益者，但该仪器的制造能力将应用于其他国家重要领域，如实验物理和计量学。这一工具将非常重要，它的多功能性和高效率有可能加速对许多这些主题的影响，从而保持联合王国作为领先科学国家的作用。

This proposal seeks to establish a state-of-the-art plasma FIB at Surrey - only the second such instrument in the UK. The system will enable the removal of material in a controlled manner at the nanometre scale. This will enable the manufacture of nanostructures for a wide range of uses, from quantum devices to microscopic mechanical test pieces. The PFIB is equipped with scanning electron microscopy so that as material is removed in a controlled manner so a three dimensional image of the eroded area can be built up. This is tomography on the microscopic scale and enables one to image sub-surface features such as inclusions in a metal alloy, interpenetration of layers in a microelectronics device or corrosion around a second phase particle in a metal. Nanomachining is the other activity that a PFIB will perform well with samples of well defined geometry and/or thickness being produced with lengths varying from tens of nanometres (thickness of an electron transparent specimen) through to just under a millimetere. Once manufactured such specimens can be examined by transmission electron microscopy or a surface analysis technique such as secondary ion mass spectrometry. Thus this equipment bid will provide a new capability with far reaching impact across several themes and many sub-themes of the EPSRC portfolio significantly enhancing existing research both in Surrey and in collaborators across the UK as well as opening up new research possibilities. There are few single instruments currently available that can be applied to so many areas of scientific and engineering research. Materials research, one of the eight great technologies and a current government priority, is by far the most obvious benefactor but the manufacturing capability of the instrument will be applied to other nationally important areas such as experimental physics and metrology. This instrument will be very significant, its versatility and high efficiency has the potential to accelerate impact across many of these themes maintaining the United Kingdom's role as a leading science nation.