Fei Comapny

Michael Moriarty

Stacey Stone

Jeffrey Blackwood

Thomas Gary Miller

Richard J Young

Jason Harrison Arjavac

Brennan Peterson

Brian Routh, Jr

Tom Miller

Rudolf Johannes Peter Gerardus Schampers

Ronald Kelley

Jeff Blackwood

Scott Edward Fuller

Ruud Schampers

Jr Brian Roberts Routh

A method, system, and computer-readable medium for forming transmission electron microscopy sample lamellae using a focused ion beam including directing a high energy focused ion beam toward a bulk volume of material; milling away the unwanted volume of material to produce an unfinished sample lamella with one or more exposed faces having a damage layer; characterizing the removal rate of the focused ion beam; subsequent to characterizing the removal rate, directing a low energy focused ion beam toward the unfinished sample lamella for a predetermined milling time to deliver a specified dose of ions per area from the low energy focused ion beam; and milling the unfinished sample lamella with the low energy focused ion beam to remove at least a portion of the damage layer to produce the finished sample lamella including at least a portion of the feature of interest.

Dose-based end-pointing for low-kV FIB milling in TEM sample preparation

Dose-based end-pointing for low-kV FIB milling TEM sample preparation

A method and apparatus for producing thin lamella for TEM observation. The steps of the method are robust and can be used to produce lamella in an automated process. In some embodiments, a protective coating have a sputtering rate matched to the sputtering rate of the work piece is deposited before forming the lamella. In some embodiments, the bottom of the lamella slopes away from the feature of interest, which keeps the lamella stable and reduces movement during thinning. In some embodiments, a fiducial is used to position the beam for the final thinning, instead of using an edge of the lamella. In some embodiments, the tabs are completed after high ion energy final thinning to keep the lamella more stable. In some embodiments, a defocused low ion energy and pattern refresh delay is used for the final cut to reduce deformation of the lamella.

Preparation of lamellae for TEM viewing

A method and apparatus for preparing thin TEM samples in a manner that reduces or prevents bending and curtaining is realized. Embodiments of the present invention deposit material onto the face of a TEM sample during the process of preparing the sample. In some embodiments, the material can be deposited on a sample face that has already been thinned before the opposite face is thinned, which can serve to reinforce the structural integrity of the sample and refill areas that have been over-thinned due to a curtaining phenomena. In other embodiments, material can also be deposited onto the face being milled, which can serve to reduce or eliminate curtaining on the sample face.

Method for preparing thin samples for TEM imaging

A method for Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) sample creation. The use of a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)&#x2014;Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM) detector in the dual-beam focused ion beam (FIB)/SEM allows a sample to be thinned using the FIB, while the STEM signal is used to monitor sample thickness. A preferred embodiment of the present invention can measure the thickness of or create TEM and STEM samples by using a precise endpoint detection method. Preferred embodiments also enable automatic endpointing during TEM lamella creation and provide users with direct feedback on sample thickness during manual thinning. Preferred embodiments of the present invention thus provide methods for endpointing sample thinning and methods to partially or fully automate endpointing.

Measurement and endpointing of sample thickness

A method and apparatus is provided for preparing samples for observation in a charged particle beam system in a manner that reduces or prevents artifacts. Material is deposited onto the sample using charged particle beam deposition just before or during the final milling, which results in an artifact-free surface. Embodiments are useful for preparing cross sections for SEM observation of samples having layers of materials of different hardnesses. Embodiments are useful for preparation of thin TEM samples.

Method for preparing samples for imaging

Methods for preparing thin samples for TEM imaging

A method for Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) sample creation. The use of a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)&#x2014;Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM) detector in the dual-beam focused ion beam (FIB)/SEM allows a sample to be thinned using the FIB, while the STEM signal is used to monitor sample thickness. A preferred embodiment of the present invention can measure the thickness of or create TEM samples by using a precise endpoint detection method. Preferred embodiments also enable automatic endpointing during TEM lamella creation and provide users with direct feedback on sample thickness during manual thinning. Preferred embodiments of the present invention thus provide methods for endpointing sample thinning and methods to partially or fully automate endpointing.

Growing community of inventors

Portland, OR, United States of America

Michael Moriarty