Silicon (110) grid for ion beam processing systems

Grids fabricated by anisotropically etching (110) silicon have been investigated for use in extracting and accelerating ions through their apertures. The silicon grids provide stable ion beams, resulting in a life span that is five times that of conventional stainless-steel grids of the same grid thickness, and large thickness for the same open areas. The silicon grids also have a big advantage because they do not experience the substantial plastic deformation that stainless-steel grids do. In addition, they provide a density of ions a few times higher than conventional carbon grids, although their life span is shorter. Moreover, they can protect samples from being contaminated by impurities such as heavy metals contained in stainless steel. Therefore, silicon grids are suitable for fabricating optical elements, such as microlenses and optical films in optical microelectromechanical systems.