Field Ion Sources for Research and Modification of the Structure of Amorphous and Crystalline Materials

Systems with a focused ion beam, using gas field ion sources, are described. The principles of operation and ways of formation of these sources, in which the effective ionization region is determined by sizes of a single atom, are considered in the historical context. The described systems have a wide range of applications, both in the field of scanning ion microscopy in combination with various analytical methods and in the field of high-resolution modification of electrical, optical, magnetic, and other properties of materials. This modification, based on ion-induced changes in the structure of material, is most pronounced in crystalline semiconductors, superconductors, and magnets.