Method of Depositing Protective Structures

A process of preparing a sample from a substrate, the process comprising:

• manufacturing a protection layer on an edge portion of the sample to be prepared from the substrate;
• and
• preparing the sample,
• wherein the manufacturing the protection layer comprises a first phase of activating a surface area portion of the substrate, and
• a second phase of electron beam or photon beam assisted deposition of the protective layer on the activated surface area portion from the gas phase.

A process of preparing a cross-section sample from a substrate, the process comprising:

• pre-activating a surface area portion of the substrate;
• depositing a first layer of a protective strip onto the pre-activated surface area portion;
• depositing a second layer of the protective strip onto the first layer of the protective strip;
• and
• preparing a cross section from the substrate by ion beam milling along at least one side of the protective strip.

A method of analysing a cross-section sample from a substrate, the method comprising:

• pre-activating a surface area portion of the substrate;
• depositing a protective strip onto the pre-activated surface area portion by electron beam or photon beam assisted deposition from a gas phase;
• preparing a cross section from the substrate by ion beam milling along at least one side of the protective strip and
• transferring the cross-section sample to an analyzing device and analysing the cross-section sample by the analyzing device.