X-ray imaging in cross-section using un-cut lamella with background material

A system for evaluating a region of a sample, the system comprising:

• a vacuum chamber;
• a sample support configured to hold a sample within the vacuum chamber during a sample evaluation process;
• a focused ion beam (FIB) column configured to direct a charged particle beam into the vacuum chamber toward the sample;
• a scanning electron microscope (SEM) column configured to direct a charged particle beam into the vacuum chamber toward the sample;
• a detector configured to detect x-rays generated from the collision between the charged particle beam and the sample;
• and
• a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory including a plurality of computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to:
• form a lamella having first and second opposing side surfaces in the sample by milling, with the FIB column, first and second trenches in the sample to expose the first and second sides surface of the lamella, respectively;
• deposit background material in the second trench, wherein the background material is selected such that the background material does not include any chemical elements that are expected to be within the region of interest of the sample;
• generate a charged particle beam with the SEM column and scan the charged particle beam across a region of interest on the first side surface of the lamella such that the charged particle beam collides with the first side surface of the lamella at a non-vertical angle;
• and
• detect x-rays generated while the region of interest is scanned by the charged particle beam.

A non-transitory computer-readable memory that stores a plurality of computer-readable instructions for evaluating a region of a sample by:

• forming a lamella having first and second opposing side surfaces in the sample by milling, with the FIB column, first and second trenches in the sample to expose the first and second sides surface of the lamella, respectively;
• depositing background material in the second trench, wherein the background material is selected such that the background material does not include any chemical elements that are expected to be within the region of interest of the sample;
• generating a charged particle beam with the SEM column and scanning the charged particle beam across a region of interest on the first side surface of the lamella such that the charged particle beam collides with the first side surface of the lamella at a non-vertical angle;
• and
• detecting x-rays generated while the region of interest is scanned by the charged particle beam.