Focused ion beam milling: A practical method for preparing cast Al-Si alloy samples for transmission electron microscopy (original) (raw)
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A review of focused ion beam milling techniques for TEM specimen preparation
Micron, 1999
The use of focused ion beam (FIB) milling for the preparation of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) specimens is described. The operation of the FIB instrument is discussed and the conventional and lift-out techniques for TEM specimen preparation and the advantages and disadvantages of each technique are detailed. The FIB instrument may be used for rapid site-specific preparation of both cross-section and plan view TEM specimens. ᭧ PERGAMON 0968-4328/99/$ -see front matter ᭧
Optimized Ar+-ion milling procedure for TEM cross-section sample preparation
Ultramicroscopy, 2011
High-quality samples are indispensable for every reliable transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigation. In order to predict optimized parameters for the final Ar þ -ion milling preparation step, topographical changes of symmetrical cross-section samples by the sputtering process were modeled by two-dimensional Monte-Carlo simulations. Due to its well-known sputtering yield of Ar þ -ions and its easiness in mechanical preparation Si was used as model system. The simulations are based on a modified parameterized description of the sputtering yield of Ar þ -ions on Si summarized from literature.
Effect of Gallium Focused Ion Beam Milling on Preparation of Aluminum Thin Foils
2010
Focussed ion beam milling has greatly extended the utility of the atom probe and transmission electron microscope because it enables sample preparation with a level of dimensional control never before possible. Using focussed ion beam it is possible to extract the samples from desired and very specific locations. The artefacts associated with this sample preparation method must also be fully understood. In this work, issues specifically relevant to the focussed ion beam milling of aluminium alloys are presented. After using the focussed ion beam as a sample preparation technique it is evident that gallium will concentrate in three areas of the sample: on the surface, on grain boundaries and at interphase boundaries. This work also shows that low-energy Ar ion nanomilling is potentially quite effective for removing gallium implantation layers and gallium from the internal surfaces of aluminium thin foils.
Progress in Crystal Growth and Characterization of Materials, 1998
Sample preparation using focused ion beam (FIB) for transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analysis was reviewed. Improving the quality of FIB prepared TEM sample has been an issue in the past. A specific site cross-sectional sample preparation method has been developed using FIB milling for TEM characterization of integrated circuits (ICs). Approach of front side and back side milling has been applied to thin the semiconductor samples for electron transparency. Back side milling has been applied for the first time in our TEM sample preparation using FIB milling. Proper tilting of the stage and use of low beam current are found to be critical for TEM samples quality. Samples prepared during present work are thinner, artifact-free, and of excellent quality for TEM analysis. It is possible to prepare specific site cross-sectional TEM samples of ICs within 2-3 hours using FIB milling. Some examples of specific site cross-sectional TEM analysis of Si based device structures are presented. Final achievable thicknesses of the samples are exemplified from the fact that atomic resolution imaging was possible and microstructure was seen in the tungsten plugs.
Amorphization Induced by Focused Ion Beam Milling in Metallic and Electronic Materials
Microscopy and Microanalysis, 2013
Focused ion beam (FIB) milling using high-energy gallium ions is widely used in the preparation of specimens for transmission electron microscopy (TEM). However, the energetic ion beam induces amorphization on the edge of specimens during milling, resulting in a mischievous influence on the clearness of high-quality transmission electron micrographs. In this work, the amorphization induced by the FIB milling was investigated by TEM for three kinds of materials, metallic materials in bulk shape, and semiconductive and electronic ceramic materials as a substrate for the deposition of thin films.
TEM cross-section preparation with minimal ion milling time
Journal of Microscopy, 1996
The production of high quality thin film TEM cross-sections suitable for microanalysis is often a difficult and timeconsuming task. This is particularly so in cases where there exists a large difference between the sputtering rate of the film and that of the substrate. The problem is further exacerbated when the levels of internal stress in the film are high enough to cause the substrate to distort during the thinning process. This paper describes some modifications to existing techniques which allow a greater degree of mechanical thinning prior to the ion etching stage. Consequently, ion milling times are drastically reduced, typically by a factor of at least 5 and by as much as 25 in some cases.
Scientific Reports
The development of xenon plasma focused ion-beam (Xe+ PFIB) milling technique enables site-specific sample preparation with milling rates several times larger than the conventional gallium focused ion-beam (Ga+ FIB) technique. As such, the effect of higher beam currents and the heavier ions utilized in the Xe+ PFIB system is of particular importance when investigating material properties. To investigate potential artifacts resulting from these new parameters, a comparative study is performed on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) samples prepared via Xe+ PFIB and Ga+ FIB systems. Utilizing samples prepared with each system, the mechanical properties of CrMnFeCoNi high-entropy alloy (HEA) samples are evaluated with in situ tensile straining TEM studies. The results show that HEA samples prepared by Xe+ PFIB present better ductility but lower strength than those prepared by Ga+ FIB. This is due to the small ion-irradiated volumes and the insignificant alloying effect brought by Xe ...
Advanced scanning paths for focused ion beam milling
Vacuum, 2017
An effect of novel path generation algorithms for focused ion beam (FIB) milling is characterized in this paper. The basic concept of the suggested paths is to distribute the directional artifacts induced by the ion beam in order to overcome or minimize the inevitable drawbacks of FIB milling. Path generation algorithms, inspired by conventional mechanical machining, were applied to the FIB scanning paths. Our results showed that the scanning path had a significant influence on the product quality with negligible time loss. Numerous paths could be generated using the suggested approach, and eight representative paths were selected for experimental characterization with regard to the surface morphology, sputter yield, and artifacts formation. Our results showed that