3D ion multibeam processing with the CHARPAN PMLP tool and with the single ion-beam FIB tool optimized with the IonRevSim software

The paper demonstrates that the ion beam milling process can be modelled as a local isotropic etching without taking into account the material re-deposition during the sputtering. It also presents a software, IonRevSim, specifically developed to simulate the 3D ion structuring and thus to validate and if necessary to optimise off-line the processing parameters. In particular, employing the IonRevSim software it is possible to prepare the necessary data for performing 3D ion milling and then to simulate the 3D structuring process in order to validate it. These two main functions and their operating modes are discussed in the paper. Experimental verification based on optimised data prepared by IonRevSim was performed using both FIB tool and multi-beam CHARPAN PMLP tool. For both ion-patterning techniques good coincidence was demonstrated for structures of low aspect ration.