zeroK NanoTech was founded in 2011 “to develop and commercialize new technology that will dramatically improve the performance of focused ion beams (FIB).” The founders were previously Research Associates at University of Maryland and postdocs at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

In late 2012, zeroK was awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) phase one grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to investigate the capabilities of zeroK’s Low Temperature Ion Source (LoTIS) technology in collaboration with NIST. A follow on Phase II grant was received in early 2014. In early 2013, zeroK received funding from a leading semiconductor manufacturer and additional funds from the NSF to support continued development of LoTIS technology.

Focused ion beam (FIB) is an invaluable tool for sample analysis and manipulation at the nanoscale. FIB users can chisel away at a sample by bombarding it with a stream of ions in the locations where they would like to remove (or add) material. These capabilities enable a variety of tasks such as sample cross-sectioning, nanoscale machining, and device processing.

The performance of today’s FIBs is principally determined by the properties of the ion source. By building a better ion source, zeroK can improve the performance of FIB across a wide variety of tasks. zeroK’s Low Temperature Ion Source (LoTIS) technology will set a new standard for performance in FIB, enabling new capabilities for end users in the fields of semiconductor device manufacturing and nanoscale sample analysis. LoTIS builds on technology developed at the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology at NIST.

Employing nobel-prize winning techniques from the field of laser cooling, the LoTIS creates a cold beam of atoms, just a few millionths of a degree above absolute zero. This beam of atoms is then photoionized in an electric field to create an extremely cold ion beam. By removing the heat, and thereby the randomness, from its ions, FIBs employing a LoTIS will be able to more sharply focus their ion beams.

The LoTIS will be brighter and have a smaller energy spread than the industry standard technology, the liquid metal ion source (LMIS). Higher brightness enables more current in a smaller focused spot, while reduced energy spread mitigates chromatic aberrations. The result is a source of ions for FIB applications that provides high-precision operation over a wide range of beam energies.

zeroK is currently developing a LoTIS that produces cesium ions, which would allow for an integrated elemental mapping tool (using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry) in combination with nanomachining capabilities.

In early 2015, zeroK began a major collaborative project with a semiconductor manufacturer to produce the first alpha-stage tool featuring LoTIS technology. When completed, this instrument will demonstrate zeroK’s LoTIS technology capabilities in a focused ion beam system for the first time.

Dr. Adam Steele, Founder (previously a Research Associate at University of Maryland and postdoc at NIST)

Dr. Brenton Knuffman, Founder (previously a Research Associate at University of Maryland)