Bristol, UK, June 1st 2010

NanoScope Services Ltd. An innovative European provider of outsourced microscopy and ion beam ‘nano-surgery’ services, announced today the release of its novel ‘LiveFIB’^TM web based consultancy capability.

Customers may view their samples during modification and analysis at the nanometer level, live, over a web-based video conferencing facility.

This powerful visual aid is combined with a simultaneous audio link which allows the real time collaboration between a nano-researcher and the expert FIB operator processing their samples.
This sets a new efficiency standard for rapid prototyping and analysis. LiveFIB^TM is offered free of charge, and can be accessed via shareware from your own home or office.
This provides significant savings in time, carbon emissions and travel costs.

‘LiveFIBTM effectively puts a focused ion beam microscope on every nano-researchers desk. It can be used for direct write nano-prototyping, 3D ‘section and view’ structural analysis and position exact FIBXTEM foil preparation for high resolution analysis of nanostructures and failures. Now you can ship your sample on one day, and be directing your nano-fabrication task, in real time, the next day over a video link.’ stated Alan Miller, director at NanoScope.

‘Every researcher who needs ion beam time, has access with the same ease and control as having their own instrument, but for a tiny fraction of the cost. Companies benefit from a commercially orientated service for similar costs to a full economic costing (FEC) University lab. University clients benefit from rapid access to top quality instrumentation and support, rather than wait for remote or oversubscribed centralised facilities’ he added.




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’FIB on the Web’ brings high-end FIB applications to the comfort of your own office.

“As simple as having your own FIB-lab in house”.

NanoScope in proud to launch this innovation in remote consultancy – which permits you to see and direct your circuit interventions/failure analysis/fab-quals in real-time, from the comfort of your own desk.

This unique approach is achieved by permitting video conferencing between you (our customers), the ion beam microscope image output itself, and our engineer performing the work.
Made possible by using our in-house developed LiveFIB^TM capability.

You can see your device during calibration and intervention while discussing the process and design features in real time with the operator, and to consult on the process as it develops – solving any potentially time consuming issues, as they arise.

“This ‘LiveFIB’ service enables designers to verify that the FIB modifications are being performed at the correct location and that the specified changes are correct… was viewed as a success by all involved” stated Richard Clark of Nanotech Semiconductor.

Advantages of this new service
● greater control
● all your office resources (design tools) are available to support the process
● cost/time savings
● quickly visualise & solve complex unforeseen issues–on the ‘live’ image
● more comfort for you
● greater intimacy with the process/technique (knowledge/training)
● no need to fly or drive to our lab
● AND - almost no documentation required

NanoScope has pioneered successful strategies to extend FIB, SEM and TEM capabilities since we started – now we’ve put a FIB on your desk and got rid of the job ‘overhead’ – and pioneering a new level of service to make it easier for us to support you.


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NanoScope does not charge an increment for working with copper devices.

But we’ve learned of surcharges of up to 120% being added to normal pricing by service providers who may struggle to work with your copper devices.
NanoScope engineers all came from the companies that build FIB / DualBeams, so we are uniquely qualified to apply the ion beam processes required, as we helped in the development of many of them (like bulk copper removal)

We can work with copper or aluminium devices without adding a premium price tag.


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Some FIB providers – are using instruments (normally older FEI FIB200 tools) contaminated with etchant chemistries known since 1999 to ‘spontaneously corrode’ copper devices – with or without the ion beam active.

From the -3rd European FIB Users Group Meeting (EFUG99)
- Mini poster- ‘Corrosion of Cu Metallization in the FIB due an I2 Background’ - H. Bender, S. Jin, IMEC, Leuven, Belgium

And in the same year
- ‘Device Modification and Gas Assisted Etching on Cu-samples’ - S. Pauthner, Infineon technologies, Munich, Germany
has the phrase “In the case of iodine the removal characteristics of the metal etch process is disastrous”.
Copy this link in your browser – http://www.imec.be/efug/EFUG20c.html#abstract10

We only use proven safe (non-resident) pre-cursor etchants (our engineers helped develop them, so we know)

Make NanoScope the safe and cost effective choice for your valuable project.


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Are you still paying more per service hour, so you can travel to your local lab just to ‘be there’?

We understand, sometimes it’s nice to get out of the office for a day, but consider this…

If you’ve got a web connection, you could now do this easier from your own home.
Ship your samples to us in the afternoon (we can send a courier if your in-house shipping system is too annoying), supervise the work the next morning on-line – and have them delivered to your desk, when you get there the next day.

Need a good reason to work from home? Well the company firewall sometimes slows video down a little, or even blocks it.

Isn’t that a better choice?


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Absolutely – we’ve checked. The process we use is a direct video call between you and us. The shareware we recommend encrypts each communication with a unique AES256-bit encryption key, meaning each communication will use a different key each time you communicate, making eavesdropping communications almost impossible.

Copy and paste this link into your browser to see for yourself - http://www.skype.com/security/


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We're proud to join the NMI and to support their activities. Go straight to their site from the 'links' page.


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NanoScope has launched its complete IC design intervention package.

We can inspect your device package (non-destructively)
Using CSAM or Xray imaging

We can open it at precisely the location for FIB intervention
Using a combination of mechanical and dual acid decapsualtion techniques

We modify the device to your requirments
Using our advanced circuit edit capabilities and 17 years of experience

We re-seal your package so the device can be used as a standard part
Using a range of epoxys and other sealants

And return it to you as a complete service with rapid turnaround
A complete operation providing testable parts for your board level debug and customer trials.


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We now offer new gidelines (and some tips and tricks) for how to prepare your sample and documentation, in order to save you time and money. You can also download our T+C's.


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For the latest developments from NanoScope and the new capabilities we can now offer, download the latest Newsletter by going to our "Document Downloads" page.


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X-ray imaging provides information about metallic features such as leadframe, die-attach and wiring defects. Even information about the wire bonding integrity can be obtained before decap.

CSAM can provide information about the internal interfaces (and sometimes the stresses and delamination of them) between the device and the package. Additional information might be available about the uniformity of the die-attach compound and even mould voids, or cracks in the die itself.

Together these techniques can help you understand the link the electrical behaviour you see in test, and the physical behaviour of the device within its package.


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We took the opporuntity to refresh the website to make it easier for your to find the information you needed. New sections on services, support types, downloads and more. We also changed the colour scheme to give it a fresher cleaner feel.

We hope you enjoy it.


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