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.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 24, 2012
Filed:
Jul. 23, 2010
Variable-tilt specimen holder and method and for monitoring milling in a charged-particle instrument
Lyudmila Zaykova-feldman, Dallas, TX (US);
Thomas M. Moore, Dallas, TX (US);
Gonzalo Amador, Dallas, TX (US);
Lyudmila Zaykova-Feldman, Dallas, TX (US);
Thomas M. Moore, Dallas, TX (US);
Gonzalo Amador, Dallas, TX (US);
Other;
Abstract
An apparatus for monitoring sample milling in a charged-particle instrument has a variable-tilt specimen holder attached to the instrument tilt stage. The variable-tilt specimen holder includes a first pivoting plate having a slot for holding a specimen rotatably supported in the specimen holder. The first pivoting plate has a range of rotation sufficient to move the axis of thinning of the specimen from a first position where the tilt stage is placed at its maximum range of tilt and the angle between the preferred axis of thinning of the specimen and the axis of the ion beam column of the instrument is greater than zero, to a second position where the axis for thinning of the specimen is substantially parallel to the axis of the ion-beam column. A light detector intercepts light passing through the specimen as it is thinned to determine an endpoint for milling of the specimen.