# US 10,504,689 B2 · Method for sample orientation for TEM lamella preparation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,504,689 B2 - Document ID: US10504689B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/851,632 - Filed: 2017-12-21 - Published: 2019-06-27 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-21 - Assignees: FEI Company - Applicants: FEI Company - Inventors: Tomá{hacek over (s)} Vystav{hacek over (e)}l; Libor Strako{hacek over (s)}; Anna Prokhodtseva; Jaromir Va{hacek over (n)}hara; Jaroslav Stárek - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10504689B2 ## CPC - H01J 37/20: Means for supporting or positioning the object or the material; Means for adjusting diaphragms or lenses associated with the support - H01J 37/1478: {Beam tilting means, i.e. for stereoscopy or for beam channelling} - H01J 37/244: Detectors; Associated components or circuits therefor - H01J 37/28: with scanning beams {(H01J37/268, H01J37/292, H01J37/2955 take precedence)} - H01J 37/3045: {Object or beam position registration} - H01J 37/305: for casting, melting, evaporating, or etching - H01J 2237/1501: Beam alignment means or procedures - H01J 2237/20207: Tilt - H01J 2237/24475: Scattered electron detectors - H01J 2237/2802: Transmission microscopes - H01J 2237/30455: Correction during exposure - H01J 2237/3174: Etching microareas - H01J 2237/31747: using STM - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract A substrate is alignable for ion beam milling or other inspection or processing by obtaining an electron channeling pattern (ECP) or other electron beam backscatter pattern from the substrate based on electron beam backscatter from the substrate. The ECP is a function of substrate crystal orientation and tilt angles associated with ECP pattern values at or near a maximum, minimum, or midpoint are used to determine substrate tilt. Such tilt is then compensated or eliminated using a tilt stage coupled the substrate, or by adjusting an ion beam axis. In typical examples, circuit substrate “chunks” are aligned for ion beam milling to reveal circuit features for evaluation of circuit processing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: directing an electron beam to a substrate at a plurality of angles of incidence and detecting portions of the electron beam returned from the substrate; producing, based on the detected portions of the electron beam and the plurality of angles, an electron backscatter pattern; and aligning the substrate with respect to an ion beam axis based on the electron backscatter pattern. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is aligned with the ion beam axis by applying a tilt to the substrate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is aligned with the ion beam axis by adjusting the ion beam axis. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is aligned with the ion beam axis by applying a tilt to the substrate and adjusting the ion beam axis. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is aligned with respect to the ion beam axis so that a substrate surface facing the ion beam axis is perpendicular to the ion beam axis. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is aligned based on a maximum or minimum in the electron channeling pattern. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the substrate is secured to a tilt stage and the electron beam is directed to the substrate at the plurality of angles of incidence by varying a substrate tilt with the tilt stage. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the electron beam is directed to the substrate at the plurality of angles of incidence by varying an axis of the electron beam. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising ion beam milling the aligned substrate. ### Claim 10 An apparatus, comprising: a tilt stage; a specimen mount coupled to the tilt stage and situated to secure a specimen; an electron beam source situated to direct an electron beam to the specimen; an electron beam detector situated to receive portions of the electron beam backscattered from the specimen; and a controller coupled to at least one of the tilt stage or the electron beam source so as to: vary an angle of incidence of the electron beam with respect to the specimen, process the detected portions of the electron beam to produce an electron channeling pattern, and determine a tilt of the specimen based on the electron channeling pattern. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising an ion beam source, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust at least one of an ion beam axis and a specimen tilt based on the determined specimen tilt. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the ion beam source includes an ion beam deflector, wherein the specimen tilt with respect to the ion beam is adjusted based on a beam deflection of the ion beam. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller is coupled to the tilt stage to align a substrate surface to be perpendicular to the ion beam axis. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller is coupled to the tilt stage to vary a specimen tilt about two orthogonal axes and receive signals associated with the corresponding backscattered portions of the electron beam. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the ion beam source is a focused ion beam source. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller determines the tilt of the specimen based on a portion of the electron channeling pattern as a function of a tilt angle about a single axis. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller determines the tilt of the specimen based on a portion of the electron channeling pattern as a function of a tilt angle about two axes. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the controller determines the tilt of the specimen based on a maximum backscattered electron beam intensity in the single axis portion of the electron channeling pattern. ### Claim 19 One or more computer readable media having defined therein processor-executable instructions for performing a method comprising: directing an electron beam to a substrate so as to be incident to the substrate at a plurality of plurality of angles of incidence and obtaining associated backscattered electron beam intensities; processing the backscattered electron beam intensities to produce an electron channeling pattern (ECP); and based on the ECP, aligning the substrate with respect to an ion beam axis. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The one or more computer readable media of claim 19, wherein the method further comprising controlling an ion beam source to direct an ion beam along the ion beam axis to thin the aligned substrate.