Silicon (110) grid for ion beam processing systems

Grids fabricated by anisotropically etching (110) silicon have been investi gated for use in extracting and accelerating ions through their apertures. The silicon grids provide stable ion beams, resulting in a life span that i s five times that of conventional stainless-steel grids of the same grid th ickness, and large thickness for the same open areas. The silicon grids als o have a big advantage because they do not experience the substantial plast ic deformation that stainless-steel grids do. In addition, they provide a d ensity of ions a few times higher than conventional carbon grids, although their life span is shorter. Moreover, they can protect samples from being c ontaminated by impurities such as heavy metals contained in stainless steel . Therefore, silicon grids are suitable for fabricating optical elements, s uch as microlenses and optical films in optical microelectromechanical syst ems.