The Leipzig high-energy ion nanoprobe: A report on first results

The high-energy ion nanoprobe LIPSION at the University of Leipzig has been operational since October 1998. Its magnetic quadrupole lens system, arran ged as a separated Russian quadruplet, has been developed by the Microanaly tical Research Centre (MARC), Melbourne. The ultrastable single-ended 3.5 M V SINGLETRON(TM) accelerator (High Voltage Engineering Europa) supplies Hand He+ ion beams with a beam brightness in the range of 10-20 A rad(-2) m( -2) eV(-1) [D.J.W. Mous, R.G. Haitsma, T. Butz, R.-H. Flagmeyer, D. Lehmann , J. Vogt, Nucl. Instr. and Meth, B 130 (1997) 31]. Due to this high bright ness, the excellent optical properties of the focusing system of the nanopr obe and the suppression of mechanical vibrations, lateral resolutions of 10 0 nm for the low current mode (STIM) and 340 nm at a current of 10 pA (PIXE , RES, SEI modes) were achieved. Further improvements are expected. (C) 200 0 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.