The ORION helium ion microscope was introduced with the intended purpose of high resolution imaging with its sub-nanometer focused probe size.  The unique beam-sample interaction provides several advantages versus the traditional SEM, including high resolution images, surface-specific information, reduced charging artifacts, and long depth of focus.  Now, early adopters of this instrument have extended the frontiers of this technology to many diverse, non-imaging applications.

Among the applications that have recently been explored is thin film metrology using energy analysis of the backscattered helium atoms.  Other researchers have used the patterning of the helium beam to induce beam-chemical processes for the purposes of deposition and etching.  The deliberate implantation of helium, has been used to introduce stress into foldable membranes or lattice defects into crystalline materials.  Because of its narrow interaction volume, helium ion beam lithography has produced small feature sizes and with low proximity effects.  Despite its low sputter yield relative to gallium, the helium ion beam can sputter some materials such as graphene with fine precision.  Finally, recent experiments have been conducted in which neon has been substituted for helium – broadening the nano-scale applications with the more massive ions.  This presentation will provide a review of these varied applications investigated by Zeiss and the other ORION users.