Method of machining a work piece with a focused particle beam
US8168948B2 · kind B2 · utility
4Cited by
6References
24Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 7, 2009 |
| Grant date | May 1, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 12, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J2237/31745
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The invention relates to a method for producing high-quality samples for e.g. TEM inspection. When thinning samples with e.g. a Focused Ion Beam apparatus (FIB), the sample often oxidizes when taken from the FIB due to the exposure to air. This results in low-quality samples, that may be unfit for further analysis. By forming a passivation layer, preferably a hydrogen passivation layer, on the sample in situ, that is: before taking the sample from the FIB, high quality TEM samples can be produced.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.