Traditional FIB-fabricated TEM samples are formed from a
thin bar (~50 um) of material that is mounted onto a grid.
The bar is then milled until a central, electron transparent
membrane is all that remains of its thickness in one area.
Typically, TEM specimens manufactured by FIB milling in
this way have the advantage of being relatively large and
more robust. Also, they are able to be checked for the
required transparency and then re-thinned if necessary.
This technique produces specimens that are well-suited to
analyzing one of a kind defects, or site specific flaws deep
in a sample.
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