Focused ion beams for microfabrication

Focused ion beam (FIB) techniques are commonly used in microelectronics for prototyping, failure analysis and process control. With the growing interest in MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) the importance of FIB techniques in this field has to be established. For the FIB to be considered for production, the milling time is crucial. Using as an example the fabrication of a microaccelerometer structure the authors show there is scope for the FIB in the prototyping and production of micromechanical structures, leading to novel sensors