Nanostep fabrication using FIB technology

The accuracy and traceability of measurement at nano-scale are directly related to nano-fabrication. Nanostep is typical structure, so the measurement and characterization of nanosteps are important to improve the accuracy of nano-fabrication. This paper studies on the relationship between the morphologic features of nanosteps and the processing parameters of a dual beam Focused Ion Beam (FIB). Nanosteps are fabricated with different depth of 50nm and 30nm. The experimental results show the depths of the nanosteps are affected by the sequence of the process and the processing energy. Although the relationship between the depth and process duration is linear, the depths of the nanosteps are not consistent with the design. The dimensions of the nanosteps at different positions are not constant because of the varying slope of the bottom and sidewall. It is necessary to optimize the processing parameters to achieve the designed dimensions.