Applications of the FIB lift-out technique for TEM specimen preparation

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Abstract
A site‐specific technique for cross‐section transmission electron microscopy specimen preparation of difficult materials is presented. A focused ion beam was used to slice an electron transparent membrane from a specific area of interest within a bulk sample. Micromanipulation lift‐out procedures were then used to transport the electron‐transparent specimen to a carbon‐coated copper grid for subsequent TEM analysis. The FIB (focused ion beam) lift‐out technique is a fast method for the preparation of site‐specific TEM specimens. The versatility of this technique is demonstrated by presenting cross‐sectioned TEM specimens from several types of materials systems, including a multi‐layered integrated circuit on a Si substrate, a galvanized steel, a polycrystalline SiC ceramic fiber, and a ZnSe optical ceramic. These specimens have both complex surface geometry and interfaces with complex chemistry. FIB milling was performed sequentially through different layers of cross‐sectioned materials so that preferential sputtering was not a factor in preparing TEM specimens. The FIB lift‐out method for TEM analysis is a useful technique for the study of complex materials systems for TEM analysis. Microsc. Res. Tech. 41:285–290, 1998.

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