Redeposition Effects in TEM Sample Preparation of Feal-Based Metal Matrix Composites using the Focused Ion Beam Miller

2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (S2) ◽  
pp. 514-515
Author(s):  
Julie M. Cairney ◽  
Paul R. Munroe
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscope ◽  
Cross Sections ◽  
Focused Ion Beam ◽  
Materials Science ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Semiconductor Industry ◽  
Specific Area ◽  
Matrix Composites ◽  
Positional Accuracy ◽  
Areas Of Interest

The focused ion beam miller (FIB) has been widely used in the semiconductor industry for many years, but only recently has its potential as a tool for materials science been recognised. The FIB uses a highly energetic beam of gallium ions to sputter material such that it can precisely section, as well as image, areas of interest. The FIB can be used to create crosssections, which can be examined in the FIB or in a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Cross sections can be made from delicate samples or samples in which a specific area needs to be viewed, for example to check the thickness of coatings or for failure analysis.The FIB may also be used to prepare transmission electron microscope (TEM) specimens [1]. Extremely site-specific thin areas may be prepared with high positional accuracy from heterogeneous samples such as composites or layered structures.

Transmission Electron Microscope Specimen Preparation of Metal Matrix Composites Using the Focused Ion Beam Miller

1999 ◽  
Vol 5 (S2) ◽  
pp. 892-893
Author(s):  
J.M. Cairney ◽  
R.D. Smith ◽  
P.R. Munroe
Keyword(s):  
Metal Matrix Composites ◽  
Metal Matrix ◽  
Focused Ion Beam ◽  
Materials Science ◽  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Semiconductor Industry ◽  
Specimen Preparation ◽  
Matrix Composites ◽  
Thin Foils

The focused ion beam (FIB) miller has been widely accepted as a powerful tool in the semiconductor industry. However, it is now finding applications in more general materials science applications. The high resolution, energetic gallium ion beam can rapidly and precisely section materials to reveal their internal structure; one particularly valuable application being the preparation of thin foils for TEM examination, especially from heterogenous materials.To date, TEM sample preparation using FIBs has concentrated on semiconductor cross-sections [1], powders [2], and surface treated materials, e.g. galvanized steels [3]. However, thin foils of grossly heterogeneous materials, such as metal-matrix composites, are also difficult to prepare using conventional methods and are therefore well suited to sectioning using the FIB. In this study, thin foils were prepared from two composite materials: a 7075 aluminium alloy containing a 20% volume fraction of SiC particles and a FeAl alloy containing a 60% volume fraction of WC particles.

FIB Enhancement of Mechanically Polished Cross-sections

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Becky Holdford
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscope ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Scanning Electron Microscope ◽  
Cross Sections ◽  
Focused Ion Beam ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
High Resolution Imaging ◽  
Chemical Attack ◽  
Resolution Imaging ◽  
Scanning Electron

Abstract On mechanically polished cross-sections, getting a surface adequate for high-resolution imaging is sometimes beyond the analyst’s ability, due to material smearing, chipping, polishing media chemical attack, etc.. A method has been developed to enable the focused ion beam (FIB) to re-face the section block and achieve a surface that can be imaged at high resolution in the scanning electron microscope (SEM).

FIB Techniques for Analysis of Metallurgical Specimens

2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (S2) ◽  
pp. 524-525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael W. Phaneuf ◽  
Jian Li
Keyword(s):  
Focused Ion Beam ◽  
Materials Science ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Semiconductor Industry ◽  
Zirconium Alloys ◽  
Chemical Information ◽  
Specimen Preparation ◽  
Orientation Contrast ◽  
Imaging Tool ◽  
Zinc Coatings

Focused ion beam (FIB) microscopes, the use of which is well established in the semiconductor industry, are rapidly gaining attention in the field of materials science, both as a tool for producing site specific, parallel sided TEM specimens and as a stand alone specimen preparation and imaging tool.Both FIB secondary ion images (FIB SII) and FIB secondary electron images (FIB SEI) contain novel crystallographic and chemical information. The ability to see “orientation contrast” in FIB SEI and to a lesser extent SII is well known for cubic materials and more recently stress-free FIB sectioning combined with FIB imaging have been shown to reveal evidence of plastic deformation in metallic specimens. Particularly in hexagonal metals, FIB orientation contrast is sometimes reduced or eliminated by the FIB sectioning process. We have successfully employed FIB gas assisted etching during FIB sectioning using XeF2 for zirconium alloys and Cl2 for zinc coatings on steels to retain orientation contrast during subsequent imaging.

Transmission Electron Microscope Specimen Preparation of Metal Matrix Composites Using the Focused Ion Beam Miller

2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 452-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie M. Cairney ◽  
Robert D. Smith ◽  
Paul R. Munroe
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscope ◽  
Metal Matrix Composites ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscope ◽  
Metal Matrix ◽  
Focused Ion Beam ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Matrix Composites ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Ceramic Reinforcement

AbstractTransmission electron microscope samples of two types of metal matrix composites were prepared using both traditional thinning methods and the more novel focused ion beam miller. Electropolishing methods were able to produce, very rapidly, thin foils where the matrix was electron transparent, but the ceramic reinforcement particles remained unthinned. Thus, it was not possible in these foils to study either the matrix-reinforcement interface or the microstructure of the reinforcement particles themselves. In contrast, both phases in the composites prepared using the focused ion beam miller thinned uniformly. The interfaces in these materials were clearly visible and the ceramic reinforcement was electron transparent. However, microstructural artifacts associated with ion beam damage were also observed. The extent of these artifacts and methods of minimizing their effect were dependent on both the materials and the milling conditions used.

The Effect of Focused Ion Beam (Fib) Specimen Geometry on X-Ray Fluorescence During Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) Analysis in the Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM)

1998 ◽  
Vol 4 (S2) ◽  
pp. 856-857
Author(s):  
David M. Longo ◽  
James M. Howe ◽  
William C. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscope ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscope ◽  
Focused Ion Beam ◽  
Materials Science ◽  
Bulk Material ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Energy Dispersive ◽  
Specimen Preparation ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Transmission Electron

The focused ion beam (FIB) has become an indispensable tool for a variety of applications in materials science, including that of specimen preparation for the transmission electron microscope (TEM). Several FIB specimen preparation techniques have been developed, but some problems result when FIB specimens are analyzed in the TEM. One of these is X-ray fluorescence from bulk material surrounding the thin membrane in FIB-prepared samples. This paper reports on a new FIB specimen preparation method which was devised for the reduction of X-ray fluorescence during energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) in the TEM.Figure 1 shows three membrane geometries that were investigated in this study on a single-crystal Si substrate with a RF sputter-deposited 50 nm Ni film. Membrane 1 is the most commonly reported geometry in the literature, with an approximately 20 urn wide trench and a membrane having a single wedge with a 1.5° incline.

TEM Sample Preparation Using A Focused Ion Beam and A Probe Manipulator

1996 ◽  
Author(s):  
L.R. Herlinger ◽  
S. Chevacharoenkul ◽  
D.C. Erwin
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscope ◽  
Integrated Circuits ◽  
Focused Ion Beam ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Specific Area ◽  
Sem Analysis ◽  
Imaging Analysis ◽  
Mechanical Grinding ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Multiple Samples

Abstract Cross-sectioning is a necessary technique for the failure analysis of integrated circuits. Historically, the majority of samples have been prepared for scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis. Today's smaller geometry devices, however, increasingly require the improved spatial resolution afforded by the transmission electron microscope (TEM), both in imaging analysis and in elemental analysis. Specific-area cross-section TEM (SAXTEM) analysis allows the failure analyst to identify defects that may go undiscovered in the SEM. A procedure is described for a timely preparation of SAXTEM samples using a focused ion beam (FIB) instrument and a manipulator probe. This procedure extends the state-of-the-art in several key respects: A) no mechanical grinding is necessary, B) samples as large as the FIB chamber can be accommodated, e.g., whole wafers, C) multiple samples can be prepared from one die, D) the procedure is faster and more repeatable than previously reported procedures.

Alleviating Sample Charging during FIB Operation

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Q. Liu ◽  
H.B. Kor ◽  
Y.W. Siah ◽  
C.L. Gan
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Cross Sections ◽  
Focused Ion Beam ◽  
Semiconductor Device ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Semiconductor Industry ◽  
Milling Process ◽  
Front Side ◽  
Dual Beam ◽  
Transmission Electron

Abstract Dual-beam focused ion beam (DB-FIB) system is widely used in the semiconductor industry to prepare cross-sections and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) lamellae, modify semiconductor devices and verify layout. One of the factors that limits its success rate is sample charging, which is caused by a lack of conductive path to discharge the accumulated charges. In this paper, an approach using an insitu micromanipulator was investigated to alleviate the charging effects. With this approach, a simple front side semiconductor device modification was carried out and the corresponding stage current was monitored to correlate to the milling process.

scholarly journals Recent Developments in CrossBeam® Technology

2007 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-19
Author(s):  
A. Thesen ◽  
H. Hoffmeister ◽  
M. Schumann ◽  
P. Gnauck
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Cross Sections ◽  
Focused Ion Beam ◽  
Materials Science ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Deposition Process ◽  
Injection System ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Submicron Scale ◽  
Recent Developments

Recent developments in nano- and semiconductor technology have substantially increased the demand for accurate and efficient site specific cross-sectioning of specimens and preparation of TEM samples. Moreover, nano-research is facing new challenges for manipulation, observation, and modification of devices on a submicron scale. At the same time in materials science a new focus on analytical nanoscale investigations—not only of specimen surfaces and cross sections—but on sample volumes is emerging.These demanding requirements can be met if a focused ion beam (FIB) column for nanoscale structuring is combined with a high resolution SEM that is used to monitor the FIB milling and deposition process on a nanometer scale. Such an integrated Cross-Beam® system enables the high resolution observation and direct control of the FIB milling process in real time. Using this concept it is possible to prepare site specific TEM samples and cross sections with nano-scale accuracy. Such a system can be complemented with a gas injection system (GIS), for deposition and enhanced etching of specific materials, as well as, in-situ micro manipulation systems, and analytical detectors such as EDX and EBSP systems.

Techniques for Analyzing Solder Joint Properties and Damages in FBGA Packages

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Leinert ◽  
S. Jansen ◽  
N. Martin ◽  
D. Breuer ◽  
W. Werner
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscope ◽  
Solder Joint ◽  
Cross Sections ◽  
Solder Ball ◽  
Focused Ion Beam ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Stress Tests ◽  
Ion Channeling ◽  
Fine Pitch ◽  
Sem Imaging

Abstract The demand for shifting from lead-containing to lead-free solder materials as well as the ongoing efforts for an improvement of the solder joint robustness for fine-pitch ball grid array packages requires ongoing testing of fresh solder alloys, changes in landing pad metallization and reflow processes. This testing includes mechanical and thermal stress tests and a detailed failure and material analysis. Besides the commonly used analysis methods like optical microscopy, scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging of cross sections, fracture planes and energy dispersive X-ray compositional analyses, other techniques such as ion channeling contrast and transmission electron microscope (TEM) imaging can provide valuable information on intermetallic compounds (IMC) formation at solder joint interfaces. This paper discusses the advantages of SEM imaging of IMC morphology at the pad interface resulting from solder ball etching, focused ion beam imaging of solder ball cross sections with ion channeling contrast, and TEM analyses of failures.

Focused Ion Beam Sample Preparation of Non-Semiconductor Materials

1997 ◽  
Vol 480 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. W. Phaneuf ◽  
N. Rowlands ◽  
G. J. C. Carpenter ◽  
G. Sundaram
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sections ◽  
Automobile Industry ◽  
Focused Ion Beam ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Semiconductor Industry ◽  
Semiconductor Materials ◽  
Specimen Preparation ◽  
Ion Milling ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Galvannealed Steel

AbstractFocused Ion Beam (FIB) systems have been steadily gaining acceptance as specimen preparation tools in the semiconductor industry. This is largely due to the fact that such instruments are relatively commonplace as failure analysis tools in semiconductor houses, and are commonly used in the preparation of cross-sections for imaging under the ion beam or using an electron beam in an SEM. Additionally, the ease with which cross-sectional TEM specimens of semiconductor devices can be prepared using FIB systems has been well demonstrated. However, this technology is largely unknown outside the semiconductor industry. Relatively few references exist in the literature on the preparation of cross-sectional TEM specimens of non-semiconductor materials by FIB. This paper discusses a specific use of FIB technology in the preparation of cross-sectional TEM specimens of non-semiconductor samples that are difficult to prepare by conventional means. One example of such materials is commercial galvannealed steel sheet that is used to form corrosion resistant auto-bodies for the automobile industry. Cross-sectional TEM specimens of this material have proved difficult and time-intensive to prepare by standard polishing and ion milling techniques due to galvanneal's inherent flaking and powdering difficulties, as well as the different sputtering rates of the various Fe-Zn intermetallic phases present in the galvannealed coatings. TEM results from cross-sectional samples of commercial galvannealed steel coatings prepared by conventional ion milling and FIB techniques are compared to assess image quality, the size of the electron-transparent thin regions that can be readily prepared and the quality of samples produced by both techniques. Specimen preparation times for both techniques are reported.

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