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Active development of nanotechnology demands the development of new methods of manipulation with nanoobjects. The application of precise ion beams can be used to realize local surface treatment procedures, such as tough ion milling or selective ion-chemical etching at a scale of down to 5 nm. Quite a wide variety of metal and dielectric materials deposition is also possible although at less precision that is averagely 100 nm. This is all accompanied by supervision over the process in real time and the ability to stop it or change in the desired direction, although a focused ion beam is more appropriate for the creation of individual samples. It is highly efficient for working-off a design and check the working capacity of products. A number of experiments were carried out in order to approve the compliance of FIB technology with operation at nanoscale.
2-Dimensional treatment of the thin film of HTSC on an insulator substrate allowed rectangular conductive structures to be manufactured – small bridges with magnetic properties. Their size was 500 nm length and 200 nm width which was appropriate to initial demands. But reduction is rather possible.
3-Dimensional treatment was undertaken on AFM tips that were cleaned and sharpened. A radius of about 50 nm of the tip was gained. But it is much less then required for the operation of AFM, so additional sharpening by other means is necessary. A special form of the tip such as inclined or high aspect ratio can be made. Another treatment of AFM cantilever tips refers to special sensors. A metal circle, diameter 70 nm, was formed on a side of a tip. The initial overall metal film was etched with the exception of only one small spot. Then the sensing element was mounted on this place. The manufacture of submicron strings and capillaries also concerns 3D milling. One more type of pin appropriate for electron emission were obtained on a side of bulk or on a substrate of different hard materials: SiC, W and alloys.
Thus, the introduction of flexible methods of up-to-date focused ion beam technology into the processing of materials and ordered compositions reveals new opportunities in achieving required tolerance, reproducibility of results, and efficiency of problem realization while minimizing time and economic expenses.
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