# US 2014/0191126 A1 · Method of Depositing Protective Structures

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- Number: US 2014/0191126 A1
- Document ID: US20140191126A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/203,179
- Filed: 2014-03-10
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2009-02-10
- Assignees: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH
- Applicants: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH
- Inventors: Heinz Wanzenboeck; Wolfram Buehler; Holger Doemer; Carl Kuebler; Daniel Fischer; Gottfried Hochleitner; Emmerich Bertagnolli
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191126A1

## CPC

- G01N 1/28: Preparing specimens for investigation {including physical details of (bio-)chemical methods covered elsewhere, e.g. G01N33/50, C12Q}(mounting specimens on microscopic slides G02B21/34; means for supporting the objects or the materials to be analysed in electron microscopes H01J37/20 {; laboratory gas handling apparatus B01L5/00})
- G01N 1/286: {involving mechanical work, e.g. chopping, disintegrating, compacting, homogenising (microtomes G01N1/06; pulverising in general B02C; mixing in general B01F)}
- H01J 37/26: Electron or ion microscopes; Electron or ion diffraction tubes
- H01J 37/261: {Details}
- H01J 37/3056: {for microworking, e. g. etching of gratings or trimming of electrical components}
- H01J 2237/31745: for preparing specimen to be viewed in microscopes or analyzed in microanalysers
- H01J 2237/31749: Focused ion beam
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)

## Abstract

A process of preparing a lamella from a substrate includes manufacturing a protection strip on an edge portion of the lamella to be prepared from the substrate, and preparing the lamella, wherein the manufacturing the protection strip includes a first phase of activating a surface area portion of the substrate, and a second phase of electron beam assisted deposition of the protective strip on the activated surface area portion from the gas phase.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

-19. (canceled)

### Claim 20

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.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The process of claim 20, wherein in the second phase, the deposition occurs from a precursor gas, which gas dissociates in the surface area portion activated in the first phase, and does not dissociate in a portion not activated in the first phase.

### Claim 22 (depends on 20)

The process of claim 20, wherein the first phase and the second phase are made to occur simultaneously, alternatingly or with a waiting interval in between.

### Claim 23 (depends on 20)

The process of claim 20, wherein in the first phase a first layer of catalytically active material is deposited on the surface area portion of the substrate.

### Claim 24 (depends on 20)

The process of claim 20, wherein in the first phase an autocatalytic process is triggered which accelerates the electron beam or photon beam assisted deposition of the protective layer in the second phase by at least an order of magnitude.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The process of claim 23, wherein the sample is prepared using ion beam milling using a focused ion beam (FIB).

### Claim 26 (depends on 24)

The process of claim 24, wherein the sample is prepared using ion beam milling using a focused ion beam (FIB).

### Claim 27 (depends on 25)

The process of claim 25, wherein the protection strip is manufactured in a thickness and from a material, such that the focused ion beam causes no microscopically detectable damage to the edge portion of the sample.

### Claim 28 (depends on 25)

The process of claim 25, wherein the thickness of the protective strip is made larger than a mean penetration depth of the focused ion beam in the material of the protection strip.

### Claim 29 (depends on 26)

The process of claim 26, wherein the protection strip is manufactured in a thickness and from a material, such that the focused ion beam causes no microscopically detectable damage to the edge portion of the sample.

### Claim 30 (depends on 26)

The process of claim 26, wherein the thickness of the protective strip is made larger than a mean penetration depth of the focused ion beam in the material of the protection strip.

### Claim 31 (depends on 24)

The process of claim 24, wherein the autocatalytic process is triggered at least partially thermally.

### Claim 32 (depends on 20)

The process of claim 20, wherein the protection strip is manufactured using at least one of iron, cobalt, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, gold and platinum.

### Claim 33

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.

### Claim 34 (depends on 33)

The process of claim 33, wherein the first layer is deposited by electron beam or photon beam assisted deposition of material from a gas phase.

### Claim 35 (depends on 34)

The process of claim 34, wherein the second layer is deposited by beam assisted deposition from a gas phase using at least one of an electron beam, an ion beam or an photon beam.

### Claim 36 (depends on 33)

The process of claim 33, wherein pre-activating a surface area portion of the sample comprises depositing a layer of catalytically active material on the surface area portion of the substrate enhancing the deposition of the first layer.

### Claim 37 (depends on 35)

The process of claim 35, wherein pre-activating a surface area portion of the sample comprises depositing a layer of catalytically active material on the surface area portion of the substrate enhancing the deposition of the first layer.

### Claim 38 (depends on 34)

The process of claim 34, wherein pre-activating a surface area portion of the sample comprises triggering an autocatalytic process which accelerates the electron beam or photon beam assisted deposition of the protective layer in the second phase by at least an order of magnitude.

### Claim 39 (depends on 35)

The process of claim 35, wherein pre-activating a surface area portion of the sample comprises triggering an autocatalytic process which accelerates the electron beam or photon beam assisted deposition of the protective layer in the second phase by at least an order of magnitude.

### Claim 40

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.

### Claim 41 (depends on 40)

The method of claim 40, wherein pre-activating a surface area portion of the sample comprises depositing a layer of catalytically active material on the surface area portion of the substrate enhancing the deposition of the first layer.

### Claim 42 (depends on 40)

The method of claim 40, wherein pre-activating a surface area portion of the sample comprises triggering an autocatalytic process which accelerates the electron beam or photon beam assisted deposition of the protective layer by at least an order of magnitude.

### Claim 43 (depends on 40)

The method of claim 40, wherein analysing the cross-section sample comprises analysing the cross-section sample in a region directly underneath the protective strip.

### Claim 44 (depends on 40)

The method of claim 40, wherein preparing a cross-section sample comprises lifting-out the sample from the substrate.