The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Nov. 05, 2019

Filed:

Aug. 31, 2012
Applicants:

Thomas G. Miller, Portland, OR (US);

Jason Arjavac, Hillsboro, OR (US);

Michael Moriarty, Portland, OR (US);

Inventors:

Thomas G. Miller, Portland, OR (US);

Jason Arjavac, Hillsboro, OR (US);

Michael Moriarty, Portland, OR (US);

Assignee:

FEI Company, Hillsboro, OR (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
C23F 1/04 (2006.01); G01N 1/32 (2006.01); H01J 37/302 (2006.01); H01J 37/305 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
C23F 1/04 (2013.01); G01N 1/32 (2013.01); H01J 37/3023 (2013.01); H01J 37/3056 (2013.01); H01J 2237/30466 (2013.01); H01J 2237/31745 (2013.01);
Abstract

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.


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