scholarly journals TEM Sample Preparation and FIB-Induced Damage

MRS Bulletin ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 400-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joachim Mayer ◽  
Lucille A. Giannuzzi ◽  
Takeo Kamino ◽  
Joseph Michael

AbstractOne of the most important applications of a focused ion beam (FIB) workstation is preparing samples for transmission electron microscope (TEM) investigation. Samples must be uniformly thin to enable the analyzing beam of electrons to penetrate. The FIB enables not only the preparation of large, uniformly thick, sitespecific samples, but also the fabrication of lamellae used for TEM samples from composite samples consisting of inorganic and organic materials with very different properties. This article gives an overview of the variety of techniques that have been developed to prepare the final TEM specimen. The strengths of these methods as well as the problems, such as FIB-induced damage and Ga contamination, are illustrated with examples. Most recently, FIB-thinned lamellae were used to improve the spatial resolution of electron backscatter diffraction and energy-dispersive x-ray mapping. Examples are presented to illustrate the capabilities, difficulties, and future potential of FIB.

1998 ◽  
Vol 4 (S2) ◽  
pp. 856-857
Author(s):  
David M. Longo ◽  
James M. Howe ◽  
William C. Johnson

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.


2008 ◽  
Vol 47 (30) ◽  
pp. 5637-5640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eli Stavitski ◽  
Martyn R. Drury ◽  
D. A. Matthijs de Winter ◽  
Marianne H. F. Kox ◽  
Bert M. Weckhuysen

2007 ◽  
Vol 558-559 ◽  
pp. 413-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wan Qiang Xu ◽  
Michael Ferry ◽  
Julie M. Cairney ◽  
John F. Humphreys

A typical dual-beam platform combines a focused ion beam (FIB) microscope with a field emission gun scanning electron microscope (FEGSEM). Using FIB-FEGSEM, it is possible to sequentially mill away > ~ 50 nm sections of a material by FIB and characterize, at high resolution, the crystallographic features of each new surface by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The successive images can be combined to generate 3D crystallographic maps of the microstructure. A useful technique is described for FIB milling that allows the reliable reconstruction of 3D microstructures using EBSD. This serial sectioning technique was used to investigate the recrystallization behaviour of a particle-containing nickel alloy, which revealed a number of features of the recrystallizing grains that are not clearly evident in 2D EBSD micrographs such as clear evidence of particle stimulated nucleation (PSN) and twin formation and growth during PSN.


2015 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 1423-1426 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Park ◽  
K.H. Jung ◽  
G.A. Lee ◽  
M. Kawasaki ◽  
B. Ahn

Abstract In this study, a continuously casted ZK60A magnesium alloy (Mg-Zn-Zr) was extruded in two different extrusion ratios, 6:1 and 10:1. The evolution of precipitates was investigated on the two extruded materials and compared with that of as-casted material. The microstructural analysis was performed by electron backscatter diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, and the compositional information was obtained using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Several distinct morphologies of precipitates were observed, such as dot, rod, and disk shaped. The formation mechanisms of those precipitates were discussed with respect to the heat and strain during the extrusion process.


2012 ◽  
Vol 715-716 ◽  
pp. 498-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Gholinia ◽  
Ian Brough ◽  
John F. Humphreys ◽  
Pete S. Bate

A combination of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and focused ion beam (FIB) techniques were used to obtain 3D EBSD data in an investigation of dynamic recrystallization in a Cu-2%Sn bronze alloy. The results of this investigation show the origin of the nucleation sites for dynamic recrystallization and also elucidates the orientation relationship of the recrystallized grains to the deformed, prior grains and between the dynamically recrystallized grains.


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