Methods, apparatuses, systems and software for treatment of a specimen by ion-milling

A method, comprising:

• a) generating an ion beam with an ion source;
• b) focusing the ion beam using ion optics configured to (i) rotate around an axis normal to a chamber wall to which the ion optics is mounted and (ii) emit the ion beam at any angle around the axis;
• c) directing the ion beam from the ion optics at a predetermined location on a specimen in a specimen holder at any angle >0° and ≤90° relative to an exposed surface of the specimen;
• and
• d) generating an image of the specimen including the predetermined location using an imaging device.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising a set of instructions encoded thereon adapted to:

• a) change a position of a stationary specimen holder in any of three orthogonal linear directions and/or an angular direction;
• b) rotate ion optics around an axis normal to a chamber wall to which the ion optics is mounted, the ion optics being configured to direct an ion beam at a predetermined location on a specimen in the stationary specimen holder at any angle around the axis;
• c) generate the ion beam with an ion source;
• d) focus the ion beam onto the predetermined location on the specimen;
• and
• e) generate an image of the specimen including the predetermined location using an imaging device.