Focused Ion Beam (FIB) technology has found its way into materials science in a variety of ways in recent years. It is used to generate precise sample cross sections, to prepare very small samples for transmission electron microscopy or atom probe tomography, nano-CT investigations and micromechanical experiments, as well as to image and analyze microstructures in 3D via serial sectioning. New and further developments in equipment technology are constantly opening up new fields of application and making the previously impossible possible. In particular, the use of a Xe-plasma as an ion source has made it possible to significantly increase the beam currents and thus the milling rates, and to achieve structure sizes far beyond the 100µm limit. However, this development has not only advantages, but the increased speed also brings disadvantages in terms of accuracy and surface quality. The presentation will give an overview of the current state and the different possibilities of FIB technology. Based on application examples the differences between classical Ga-FIB and newer Xe-PFIB will be shown and the advantages and disadvantages will be discussed.