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High-Quality Sample Preparation by Low kV FIB Thinning for Analytical TEM Measurements

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 March 2007

Sara Bals ,
Wim Tirry ,
Remco Geurts ,
Zhiqing Yang  and
Dominique Schryvers
Sara Bals
Affiliation:
Electron Microscopy for Materials Science, University of Antwerp, CGB, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium
Wim Tirry
Affiliation:
Electron Microscopy for Materials Science, University of Antwerp, CGB, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium
Remco Geurts
Affiliation:
FEI Company, Achtseweg Noord 5, 5651 GG Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Zhiqing Yang
Affiliation:
Electron Microscopy for Materials Science, University of Antwerp, CGB, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium
Dominique Schryvers
Affiliation:
Electron Microscopy for Materials Science, University of Antwerp, CGB, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium
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Abstract

Focused ion beam specimen preparation has been used for NiTi samples and SrTiO3/SrRuO3 multilayers with prevention of surface amorphization and Ga implantation by a 2-kV cleaning procedure. Transmission electron microscopy techniques show that the samples are of high quality with a controlled thickness over large scales. Furthermore, preferential thinning effects in multicompounds are avoided, which is important when analytical transmission electron microscopy measurements need to be interpreted in a quantitative manner. The results are compared to similar measurements acquired for samples obtained using conventional preparation techniques such as electropolishing for alloys and ion milling for oxides.

Keywords

low kV thinningFIBNiTimultilayer oxidesTEMsample preparation
Type
MATERIALS APPLICATIONS
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 13 , Issue 2 , April 2007 , pp. 80 - 86
Copyright
© 2007 Microscopy Society of America

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References

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