Applications of the FIB lift-out technique for TEM specimen preparation
✍ Scribed by Giannuzzi, Lucille A.; Drown, Jennifer L.; Brown, Steve R.; Irwin, Richard B.; Stevie, Frederick A.
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1998
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 449 KB
- Volume
- 41
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 1059-910X
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✦ Synopsis
A site-specific technique for cross-section transmission electron microscopy specimen preparation of difficult materials is presented. A focused ion beam was used to slice an electron transparent membrane from a specific area of interest within a bulk sample. Micromanipulation lift-out procedures were then used to transport the electron-transparent specimen to a carbon-coated copper grid for subsequent TEM analysis. The FIB (focused ion beam) lift-out technique is a fast method for the preparation of site-specific TEM specimens. The versatility of this technique is demonstrated by presenting cross-sectioned TEM specimens from several types of materials systems, including a multi-layered integrated circuit on a Si substrate, a galvanized steel, a polycrystalline SiC ceramic fiber, and a ZnSe optical ceramic. These specimens have both complex surface geometry and interfaces with complex chemistry. FIB milling was performed sequentially through different layers of cross-sectioned materials so that preferential sputtering was not a factor in preparing TEM specimens. The FIB lift-out method for TEM analysis is a useful technique for the study of complex materials systems for TEM analysis.