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Focused ion beams are intensively used for device modification by local material removal and ion beam induced metal deposition. With shrinking dimensions on modern multilayer devices, the need for ion beam induced insulator deposition is increasing. In this article, tetramethoxysilane as a precursor for ion beam induced deposition has been investigated. The influence of beam parameters dwell time and loop time on the material deposition rate will be discussed and compared to model calculations. For optimized scanning conditions, a maximum deposition rate of 0.33 μm3/nC was found. Insulating films were also deposited using an electron beam. The chemical composition and electrical properties of these films were compared with the films deposited by the ion beam. For electron beam deposition, the resistivity of the deposited films was 1×106 Ω cm which is two orders of magnitude higher than for ion beam deposited film.

For high precision micromachining of micro-and nanostructures by focused ion beams, the precision of the material removal process is of great importance. In this article, the topological properties of the ion beam generated structures like slope angles of trenches, surface roughness, and induced defects are investigated. The influence of the beam current and scanning strategy on the topological properties will be discussed. In addition, transmission electron microscopy analysis of thin lamellas generated by focused ion beams will be shown.

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