Physical Ion Milling
Inert ion beam removal for noble metals, magnetic stacks, and material systems without useful volatile etch products.
Ar ion beamNoble metalsMagnetic stacks
Equipment Platform
IBE/RIBE Ion Beam Etching Platform
Directional ion beam etching and reactive ion beam etching for magnetic films, noble metals, optical materials, multilayer stacks, and difficult-to-etch research materials.
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This platform is configured and quoted to your process — it is not sold online.
Ion Source
Kaufman / RF
Tilt
0-90 deg
Rotation
1-10 rpm
Base Pressure
<7x10^-7 Torr
Process-first configuration
Build the etch window around material volatility, beam angle, and redeposition control.
IBE/RIBE selection starts with the material stack, desired profile angle, mask budget, redeposition risk, wafer size, endpoint needs, and whether the process requires pure physical milling or chemically assisted ion beam etching.
Reactive Ion Beam Etching
Reactive gases add chemical enhancement while retaining directional beam control for selected materials and profiles.
RIBE modeChemical assistProfile control
Angle-Controlled Profiles
Tilt and rotation help tune sidewall angle, redeposition, taper, and uniformity for precision pattern transfer.
0-90 deg tilt1-10 rpm rotationRedeposition control
Core Process Windows
What this platform is built to control.
Ion source selection
Kaufman and RF source options let teams match beam architecture to wafer size, material stack, and process energy requirements.
Beam angle and rotation
Programmable tilt and rotation support sidewall shaping, improved uniformity, and redeposition management across complex stacks.
Material-agnostic milling
Physical sputter removal supports magnetic materials, Au, Pt, Cu, glass, quartz, 2D materials, and quantum device materials.
Technical Specifications
Clear screening values for IBE/RIBE process planning.
Core values are taken from the equipment summary and legacy datasheet table for fast process screening. Final source type, gas lines, loading, cooling, and endpoint options should be confirmed with engineering during quote review.
- Ion Source
- Kaufman <=6 in / RF <=12 in
- Wafer Size
- Up to 12 in
- Tilt Angle
- 0-90 deg
- Rotation
- 1-10 rpm
- Base Pressure
- <7x10^-7 Torr
- Uniformity
- <5% non-uniformity
- Gas Lines
- 1-3 standard, customizable
- Loading
- Open-load or load-lock
Applications
Built for difficult-to-etch materials and precision directional milling.
Magnetic materials
Noble metal patterning
Optical device fabrication
MEMS / NEMS
Multilayer film etching
2D and quantum materials
Related Resources
Help engineers choose between plasma and ion beam etch paths.
Resource
Ion Beam Etching (IBE) & RIBE Guide
Kaufman vs RF sources, IBE/RIBE modes, tilt angle, and materials
Resource
RIE vs Ion Milling
Chemistry-driven RIE compared with physical ion milling
Resource
Metal Etching Complete Guide
Metal-by-metal etch routes including IBE/RIBE for difficult stacks
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I choose IBE/RIBE instead of RIE?
Choose IBE/RIBE when the material has no practical volatile reactive chemistry, when beam angle control is critical, or when magnetic, noble-metal, optical, multilayer, or 2D material stacks need directional physical milling.
What is the difference between IBE and RIBE?
IBE uses an inert ion beam for physical sputter removal. RIBE introduces reactive gases to combine directional beam control with chemical enhancement for selected material systems.
What core specifications define the IBE/RIBE platform?
The IBE/RIBE platform supports Kaufman ion sources for up to 6 inch wafers, RF ion sources for up to 12 inch wafers, 0 to 90 degree tilt, 1 to 10 rpm rotation, base pressure below 7x10^-7 Torr, and <5% non-uniformity.
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Build a controlled ion beam etch process with NineScrolls
Share your material stack, wafer size, target sidewall profile, tilt requirements, redeposition concerns, gas needs, and timeline.