Multiple Beam Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry for Large Area Imaging

Solution Overview

Problem

Current high-resolution Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) devices are limited by small primary ion currents, leading to long acquisition times and small fields of view, making them unsuitable for large area imaging or 3D reconstruction, particularly in applications like biological systems where high throughput is required.

Innovation Solution

A secondary ion mass spectrometer using a primary ion beam device with multiple apertures to generate and guide multiple primary ion beams simultaneously to the sample, allowing for parallel analysis of a larger area with maintained high lateral resolution.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a single focused primary ion beam is used to maintain high spatial resolution, then lateral resolution is improved, but analysis time increases and field of view is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelateral resolutionVSAvoidanalysis time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The single primary ion beam is segmented into multiple parallel beams by passing through an aperture plate with multiple apertures. Each aperture creates a separate beam that can be independently focused on the sample, allowing simultaneous analysis of multiple locations while maintaining the spatial resolution of individual beams

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention transitions from a single-point analysis approach to a multi-point parallel analysis approach by introducing the aperture plate dimension. This allows multiple beams to be generated from a single source, effectively adding a spatial dimension to the beam configuration and enabling parallel processing of multiple sample regions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Measurement precision

If a single focused primary ion beam is used to maintain high spatial resolution, then lateral resolution is improved, but field of view is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelateral resolutionVSAvoidfield of view

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The single primary ion beam is segmented into multiple parallel beams by passing through an aperture plate with multiple apertures. Each aperture creates a separate beam that can be independently focused on the sample, allowing simultaneous analysis of multiple locations while maintaining the spatial resolution of individual beams

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple beam paths are merged into a single analysis system through the aperture plate, which combines the functionality of multiple beams while maintaining the resolution capabilities of individual beams. This allows a larger field of view to be covered while preserving high lateral resolution

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Measurement precision

If small primary ion current is used to maintain small probe size, then lateral resolution is improved, but analysis time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelateral resolutionVSAvoidacquisition time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The single primary ion beam is segmented into multiple parallel beams by passing through an aperture plate with multiple apertures. Each aperture creates a separate beam that can be independently focused on the sample, allowing simultaneous analysis of multiple locations while maintaining the spatial resolution of individual beams

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention enables continuous parallel analysis by maintaining multiple beams simultaneously active on the sample. This eliminates the sequential scanning requirement of single-beam systems, allowing continuous acquisition of data from multiple locations and significantly reducing total acquisition time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach significantly reduces analysis time by allowing multiple points on the sample to be analyzed simultaneously, increasing throughput and making large area imaging and 3D reconstruction feasible within a few hours instead of days.

Implementation Method 1

a single focused primary ion beam is used to illuminate the surface of a sample. Thereby, material is sputtered from the sample, which creates localised secondary ion emissions stemming from the sample

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSputtering: Sputtering

Implementation Method 2

Generally, the secondary ions are first filtered in accordance with their mass-to-charge ratio, and then detected, classified or imaged accordingly

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMass filtering:

Data Source

PatentUS11545352B2Multiple beam secondary ion mass spectrometry device

Publication Date: 2023.01.03 LUXEMBOURG INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (LIST)

AI summary

A secondary ion mass spectrometer comprising a primary ion beam device, and means for collecting, mass filtering and subsequently detecting secondary ions released from a sample due to the sample having been impacted by a plurality of primary ion beams. The secondary ion mass spectrometer is remarkable in that it uses a plurality of primary ion beams in parallel for scanning the surface of the sample.