Faraday Plate Imaging package as an optional extra to supplement ion gun component package enables users to identify precisely where the sample is being sputtered
Thermo Electron is now offering a Faraday Plate Imaging package as an optional extra to supplement its EX05 ion gun component package.
The addition of this capability creates a cost-effective system that enables users to identify precisely where the sample is being sputtered.
The high performance, differentially pumped EX05 ion gun is suitable for use in virtually all applications of surface analysis, says Thermo.
The Faraday Plate Imaging package enables users to obtain an ion-induced scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image showing precisely where the depth profile is to be performed.
This benefit is not possible with conventional systems, where users need to guess where the sample is being eroded with the ion beam.
The package comprises a Faraday plate assembly, a preamplifier and a TV monitor.
Thermo's EX05 ion gun is designed for high-resolution depth profiles in both XPS and Auger.
The high performance EX05 can produce more than 10uA beam currents for rapidly etching large craters.
For regular shaped, flat craters the beam can be focused into a spot size of more than 120um while maintaining 1uA beam current.
Wide, flat scan plates located at the end of the twin lens optical column ensure that the scanning of high current beams is uniform, even over a large area.
Careful design of the ion source and differential pumping virtually eliminates neutral content from the ion beam.
This prevents the centre of a crater being etched at a faster rate than the edges.
The digital power supply of the EX05 ion gun is controlled by Thermo's Avantage software, which controls setup parameters such as scan areas, scan speed, and image contrast.
The EX05 ion gun is equipped with a twin filament source, two lenses, and a floating drift tube which ensures excellent performance even at low ion energy.
The highly effective differential pumping design makes the EX05 suitable for use on ion pumped systems without seriously compromising vacuum or ion gun performance, says Thermo.
By combining it with the Faraday Plate Imaging package, Thermo says it is able to offer the component market a cost-effective system for high performance depth profile etching.
