Focused Ion Beam Industry - Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (US); ZEISS International (Germany); Hitachi, Ltd. (Japan)

focused ion beam market is projected to reach USD 1.8 billion by 2028 from an estimated USD 1.3 billion in 2023, at a CAGR of 7.0% from 2023 to 2028

A Focused Ion Beam (FIB) system is a versatile tool widely used in materials science, semiconductor manufacturing, and other fields requiring precise material modification at the nanometer scale. The technology revolves around a tightly focused beam of ions, typically gallium ions, directed at a sample to accomplish tasks such as imaging, material removal (milling), deposition, and analysis.

Principle of Operation

The FIB operates similarly to a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), but instead of electrons, it uses ions. Gallium ions are commonly chosen because of their relatively high mass and ease of ionization. When the focused beam of ions strikes the sample, it can sputter away atoms, enabling highly controlled material removal. This capability is particularly useful in applications like circuit editing, defect analysis, and sample preparation for Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM).

Applications

1. Imaging: FIB can produce high-resolution images by scanning the ion beam across the surface of a sample. The interaction between the ions and the sample’s surface generates secondary electrons, which are collected to form an image. While SEM is typically preferred for imaging due to less sample damage, FIB offers the advantage of imaging and modification in a single tool.
2. Milling and Micromachining: The primary application of FIB is material removal. By carefully controlling the ion beam, users can mill away specific regions of a sample to create cross-sections, trenches, or even three-dimensional microstructures. This is crucial for semiconductor failure analysis, where engineers need to expose and analyze tiny features within a chip.
3. Sample Preparation for TEM: FIB is often used to prepare ultra-thin samples for TEM analysis. The precision of FIB milling allows for the creation of electron-transparent sections, typically less than 100 nanometers thick. This is vital for observing the internal structure of materials at the atomic level.
4. Ion Beam-Induced Deposition (IBID): FIB systems can also deposit materials by introducing a precursor gas into the chamber. When the ion beam interacts with this gas, it causes localized decomposition, resulting in the deposition of materials like platinum or tungsten. This is useful for tasks such as circuit modification or creating protective layers over sensitive areas of a sample      

Get more information — https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=20057108

Challenges and Considerations

Despite its capabilities, FIB technology does have some limitations. The ion beam can cause damage to the sample, especially when high beam currents are used, which may lead to unwanted amorphization or implantation of gallium ions. Furthermore, the process can be slow, particularly for large-area milling. Therefore, FIB is often used in conjunction with other techniques like SEM or Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) to balance resolution, speed, and sample integrity.

1 INTRODUCTION (Page No. — 33)

1.1 STUDY OBJECTIVES

1.2 MARKET DEFINITION

1.2.1 INCLUSIONS AND EXCLUSIONS

1.3 STUDY SCOPE

1.3.1 MARKETS COVERED

1.3.2 GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE

1.3.3 YEARS CONSIDERED

1.4 CURRENCY CONSIDERED

1.5 UNIT CONSIDERED

1.6 MARKET STAKEHOLDERS

2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY (Page No. — 37)

2.1 RESEARCH DATA

FIGURE 1 FOCUSED ON THE BEAM MARKET: RESEARCH DESIGN

2.1.1 SECONDARY AND PRIMARY RESEARCH

2.1.2 SECONDARY DATA

2.1.2.1 Secondary sources

2.1.3 PRIMARY DATA

2.1.3.1 Primary interviews with experts

2.1.3.2 Breakdown of primaries

2.1.3.3 Key data from primary sources

2.1.3.4 Key industry insights

2.2 FACTOR ANALYSIS

FIGURE 2 MARKET SIZE ESTIMATION METHODOLOGY: APPROACH 1 — TOP-DOWN (SUPPLY SIDE): REVENUES GENERATED BY COMPANIES FROM SALES OF FIB SYSTEMS

FIGURE 3 MARKET SIZE ESTIMATION METHODOLOGY: APPROACH 1 — TOP-DOWN (SUPPLY SIDE): ILLUSTRATION OF REVENUE ESTIMATION FOR ONE COMPANY IN FOCUSED ION THE BEAN MARKET

FIGURE 4 MARKET SIZE ESTIMATION METHODOLOGY: APPROACH 2 — BOTTOM-UP (DEMAND SIDE): DEMAND FOR FIB SYSTEMS, BY VERTICAL

2.3 MARKET SIZE ESTIMATION

2.3.1 BOTTOM-UP APPROACH

2.3.1.1 Approach to obtain market size through bottom-up analysis (demand side)

FIGURE 5 MARKET SIZE ESTIMATION METHODOLOGY: BOTTOM-UP APPROACH

2.3.2 TOP-DOWN APPROACH

2.3.2.1 Approach to obtain market size through top-down analysis (supply side)

FIGURE 6 MARKET SIZE ESTIMATION METHODOLOGY: TOP-DOWN APPROACH

2.3.3 GROWTH PROJECTIONS AND FORECASTING ASSUMPTIONS

TABLE 1 MARKET GROWTH ASSUMPTIONS

2.4 MARKET BREAKDOWN AND DATA TRIANGULATION

FIGURE 7 DATA TRIANGULATION

2.5 RESEARCH ASSUMPTIONS AND LIMITATIONS

2.5.1 RESEARCH ASSUMPTIONS

2.5.2 RESEARCH LIMITATIONS

2.6 RISK ASSESSMENT