Geometric compensation of focused ion beam machining using image processing

During the process of focused ion beam (FIB) machining, the redeposition of the sputtered material during machining decreases the geometric accuracy of the process. In this paper, a new approach to reducing the geometric error in FIB machining is Introduced. The new algorithm measures the amount of redeposited material after each production cycle and modifies the next process plan. Information on the amount and shape of the geometric error is determined using an image processing method. The geometric error compensation method is applied to a real FIB, and the experimental results demonstrate considerable improvement over uncompensated milling.