Dose-based end-pointing for low-kV FIB milling in TEM sample preparation
US11313042B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 10, 2019 |
| Grant date | Apr 26, 2022 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 4, 2040 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J2237/31749
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
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.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.