TEM sample preparation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9368325-B2
Application number	US-201514692509-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2015
Priority date	Jun 28, 2013
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

A method and apparatus for altering the orientation of a charged particle beam sample is presented. Embodiments of the method includes providing a first work piece on a sample stage having a sample stage plane, the first work piece including a lamella plane in a first orientation. A sample is milled from the first work piece using an ion beam so that the sample is substantially free from the first work piece. A probe is attached to the sample, the probe including a shaft having a shaft axis, the shaft axis oriented at a shaft angle in relation to the sample stage plane, the shaft angle being non-normal to the sample stage plane. The probe is rotated about the shaft axis through a rotational angle so that the lamella plane is in a second orientation. The sample is attached to or placed on the sample on either the first work piece, the first work piece being the work piece from which the sample was milled, or on a second work piece, the second work piece being a work piece from which the sample was not milled. The sample is thinned using the ion beam to form a lamella, the lamella being oriented in the lamella plane.

First claim

I claim as follows:

1. A method for creating a TEM sample, comprising:
providing a first work piece on a sample stage having a sample stage plane, the first work piece including a lamella plane being oriented in a first orientation;
milling a sample from the first work piece using an ion beam so that the sample is substantially free from the first work piece;
attaching a probe to the sample, the probe including a shaft having a shaft axis, the shaft axis oriented at a shaft angle in relation to the sample stage plane, the shaft angle being non-normal to the sample stage plane;
rotating the probe about the shaft axis through a rotational angle, the rotation causing the sample to be rotated so that the lamella plane is oriented in a second orientation;
attaching the sample to or placing the sample on:
the first work piece, the first work piece being the work piece from which the sample was milled; or
a second work piece, the second work piece being a work piece from which the sample was not milled.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the shaft angle is 45 degrees and the rotational angle is 180 degrees.

3. The method of claim 1 in which attaching the probe to the sample includes attaching the probe to the sample by ion beam deposition.

4. The method of claim 1 in which attaching the probe to the sample includes attaching the probe to the sample by an adhesive.

5. The method of claim 1 in which milling the sample from the first work piece using an ion beam includes milling the sample from the first work piece using a focused ion beam.

6. The method of claim 1 in which milling the sample further comprises milling the sample so that one face of the milled sample is substantially perpendicular to the lamella plane.

7. The method of claim 1 in which attaching the sample to the first or second work piece further comprises forming at least one deposition on the work piece and the sample, the deposition attaching the sample to the first or second work pieces.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising forming the at least one deposition by ion beam deposition using the ion beam.

9. The method of claim 1 in which attaching the sample to or placing the sample on the first or second work piece further comprises milling a recessed area in a surface of the first or second work piece, the recessed area being of a size that suitable to receive at least a portion of the sample, and placing the sample so that at least a portion of the sample is disposed within the recessed area.

10. The method of claim 1 in which rotating the probe about the shaft axis through a rotational angle causes the sample to be rotated so that the sample stage plane and the lamella plane are substantially perpendicular.

11. The method of claim 10 in which prior to the milling step the lamella plane is substantially parallel to the sample stage plane.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
milling the lamella from the sample using an ion beam so that the lamella is substantially free from the sample;
attaching the lamella to a transmission electron microscope (TEM) grid; and
viewing the lamella while attached to the transmission electron microscope (TEM) grid.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising, prior to milling the lamella from the sample, moving the work piece upon which the sample is attached or placed to a second device, the second device being a device that was not used to mill the sample from the work piece.

Assignees

• Fei Co

Inventors

• Young Richard J

Classifications

• H01J2237/31749

  Focused ion beam · CPC title

• H01J37/28

  with scanning beams {(H01J37/268, H01J37/292, H01J37/2955 take precedence)} · CPC title

• G01N1/32 Primary

  Polishing; Etching · CPC title

• H01J37/3053

  for evaporating or etching · CPC title

• H01J37/3178

  for applying thin layers on objects · CPC title