Ion beam milling system and method for electron microscopy specimen preparation

An ion beam milling system as claimed in 13 including a controller for controlling the power supplied to said ion generating guns.

An ion beam milling system for electron microscopy specimen preparation comprising:

• a chamber communicating with a source of vacuum for said chamber, at least one ion generating gun positioned in said chamber, a specimen holder, a specimen having height, length, and thickness dimensions mounted on said specimen holder, and an ion beam masking member secured to a surface comprising the length dimension of said specimen adjacent an edge thereof such that there is no relative movement between said specimen and said ion beam masking member during milling, said at least one ion gun positioned to cause milling of said surface of said specimen to expose an area of interest on said specimen adjacent said ion beam masking member.

An ion beam milling system as claimed in 18 including a controller for controlling the power supplied to said ion generating guns.

A method of preparing a specimen for TEM analysis comprising:

• providing a specimen having length and thickness dimensions, mounting said specimen to said specimen holder, securing an ion beam masking member to a surface comprising the thickness dimension of said specimen, evacuating a chamber, positioning said specimen in said chamber, milling said surface of said specimen to provide an electron transparent surface of said specimen adjacent said ion beam masking member such that there is no relative movement between said specimen and said ion beam masking member.

A method of preparing a specimen for SEM analysis comprising:

• providing a specimen having length and thickness dimensions, mounting said specimen to said specimen holder, securing an ion beam masking member to a surface comprising the length dimension of said specimen, evacuating a chamber, positioning said specimen in said chamber, milling said surface of said specimen to cause milling of said surface of said specimen to expose an area of interest on said specimen adjacent said ion beam masking member such that there is no relative movement between said specimen and said ion beam masking member.