Atomic level ion source and method of manufacture and operation
US7368727B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 15, 2004 |
| Grant date | May 6, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 30, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J2237/0807
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Ion source and method of making and sharpening. The ion source is a single crystal metal conductor having a substantially conical tip portion with substantial rotational symmetry. The tip portion terminates with a tip radius of curvature in the range of 50–100 nanometers. The ion source is made by electrochemical etching so that a conical tip of a selected geometry is formed. The ion source is then sharpened to provide a source of ions from a volume near the size of a single atom. Further, this ion source makes possible a stable and practical light ion microscope which will have higher resolution than existing scanning electron microscopes and scanning metal-ion microscopes.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.