Tin-Lead Liquid Metal Alloy Source for Focused Ion Beams
Bryan Flores1,2, Shei Sia Su1, Coleman Cariker1
1Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87123, USA.
Micromachines
|January 28, 2026
Summary
Focused Ion Beam (FIB) systems enable precise single ion implantation for quantum applications. Researchers developed lead-containing alloys for FIB sources, achieving nanoscale precision for quantum information science.
Area of Science:
- Quantum Information Science
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Focused Ion Beam (FIB) systems are crucial for nanotechnology applications like nanostructuring and prototyping.
- Single ion implantation using FIB is vital for fabricating quantum devices, such as single photon emitters.
- Color centers in diamond, particularly lead-vacancy (PbV) centers, show promise as qubits due to their operating temperature and coherence properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the use of lead (Pb)-containing alloys in liquid metal alloy ion sources for FIB systems.
- To investigate tantalum (Ta) and titanium (Ti) as emitter materials for a Pb liquid metal alloy ion source.
- To assess the feasibility of using FIB for nanoscale ion implantation relevant to quantum information science.
Main Methods:
- Development and testing of lead (Pb)-containing alloys with low eutectic points (< 600 °C).
- Utilizing tantalum (Ta) and titanium (Ti) as emitter materials within a Pb liquid metal alloy ion source.
- Employing a standard Focused Ion Beam (FIB) system to analyze ion beam characteristics and spot size.
Main Results:
- Successfully identified lead (Pb)-containing alloys with eutectic points below 600 °C.
- Demonstrated the use of tantalum (Ta) and titanium (Ti) as viable emitter materials for a Pb liquid metal alloy ion source.
- Confirmed that a standard FIB system can resolve different lead (Pb) isotopes and achieve nanoscale spot sizes.
Conclusions:
- Lead (Pb)-containing alloys are suitable for developing ion sources for FIB applications in quantum technology.
- The developed FIB system and ion source meet the nanoscale precision requirements for fabricating quantum information devices.
- This research advances the fabrication techniques for quantum emitters using FIB technology.
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