Authors: Ruwen Qin Jing Fu Zhaozheng Yin Changxi Zheng
Publish Date: 2012/08/25
Volume: 64, Issue: 1-4, Pages: 587-600
Abstract
With the everdecreasing size of manufactured objects fabrication processes driven by charged particle beams such as focused ion beam FIB become important for a wide spectrum of interdisciplinary applications A designed threedimensional 3D pattern to fabricate may contain millions of pixels which will require solving an unprecedented largescale problem for planning This paper proposes a general framework of planning FIB milling for fabricating 3D nanostructures including model formulations to enable FIB for scalable and automated applications and a corresponding optimization model to support the process planning The implementation of proposed work does not affect the fabrication quality and yet tremendously reduces the required computational time and data storage during planning The proposed framework of process planning is further illustrated and verified by simulation and milling experiments of submicron features on Si and Si3N4 This research offers an accurate and economical solution to the realization from designs to actual micro/nanoscale models and builds a scientific foundation for immediate development of complex yet more accurate and costeffective beam scanning techniques
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