High throughput tem preparation processes and hardware for backside thinning of cross-sectional view lamella

A method for preparing a sample for imaging, the sample being formed from a work piece and having a top side and a back side, the sample being prepared for imaging by thinning the sample using an ion beam directed from the back side, comprising:

• attaching a probe to the top side of the sample, the probe making a first angle with the top surface of the sample;
• extracting the sample from the work piece;
• rotating the probe by 180 degrees to change the orientation of the top surface of the sample from a horizontal position to transposed position;
• attaching the sample to an independently tiltable sample holder so that the top surface of the sample is perpendicular to the sample holder plane;
• tilting the sample holder so that the plane of the sample holder is oriented at an angle relative to a sample stage, with the back side of the sample facing away from the sample stage;
• thinning the sample from a first side of the sample by milling the sample from the back side using the ion beam;
• rotating the stage by 180 degrees;
• and
• thinning the sample from a second side of the sample by milling the sample from the backside using the ion beam, said thinning the second side from the second side producing a surface parallel to the surface produced by thinning the sample from the first side.