Systems and methods for performing sample lift-out for highly reactive materials

A charged particle system, the system comprising:

• a charged particle emitter configured to emit charged particles towards a sample;
• a sample holder configured to support the sample;
• an optical column configured to direct the charged particles to be incident on the sample;
• a detector system configured to detect emissions from the sample due to irradiation by the charged particles;
• a sample manipulator including an intermediate body capable of being attached to a probe portion, the intermediate body composed of a high sputter yield material;
• one or more processors;
• and
• a memory storing non-transitory computer readable instructions,
• the one or more processors configured to execute the non-transitory computer readable instructions to:
• translate the probe so that it is proximate to the intermediate body,
• mill, with a charged particle beam, portions of the intermediate body proximate to the probe, wherein at least some of the removed intermediate body redeposits to form the attachment between the probe portion and the intermediate body,
• translate the sample manipulator so that it is proximate to a sample, wherein the intermediate body is proximate to the sample, and
• mill, with a charged particle beam, the high sputter yield material such that portions of the high sputter yield material is removed from the sample manipulator, and wherein at least some of the removed high sputter yield material redeposits to form an attachment between the sample manipulator and the sample,
• wherein the high sputter yield material corresponds to a rate of emission of greater than 5 atoms per ion when the high sputter yield material is irradiated with a 30 kV focused ion beam.

A charged particle system, the system comprising:

• a charged particle emitter configured to emit charged particles towards a sample;
• a sample holder configured to support the sample;
• an optical column configured to direct the charged particles to be incident on the sample;
• a detector system configured to detect emissions from the sample due to irradiation by the charged particles;
• a sample manipulator configured to manipulate the sample;
• one or more processors;
• and
• a memory storing non-transitory computer readable instructions,
• the one or more processors configured to execute the non-transitory computer readable instructions to:
• translate the sample manipulator so that it is proximate to the sample, wherein a portion of the sample manipulator proximate to the sample is composed of a high sputter yield material;
• and
• mill, with a charged particle beam, the high sputter yield material such that portions of the high sputter yield material is removed from the sample manipulator, and wherein at least some of the removed high sputter yield material redeposits to form an attachment between the sample manipulator and the sample,
• wherein the one or more processors are configured to mill the high sputter yield material by milling multiple locations on the high sputter yield material proximate to the sample, wherein each of the multiple locations are located at an edge of the high sputter yield material proximate to the sample,
• wherein between the multiple locations is at least one region of the high sputter yield material along the edge proximate to the sample that is not milled away, and wherein the at least some of the removed high sputter yield material redeposits to form at least one attachment between the sample and the at least one region of the high sputter yield material along the edge proximate to the sample that is not milled away, and
• wherein the high sputter yield material corresponds to a rate of emission of greater than 5 atoms per ion when the high sputter yield material is irradiated with a 30 kV focused ion beam.

A charged particle system, the system comprising:

• a charged particle emitter configured to emit charged particles towards a sample;
• a sample holder configured to support the sample;
• an optical column configured to direct the charged particles to be incident on the sample;
• a detector system configured to detect emissions from the sample due to irradiation by the charged particles;
• a sample manipulator configured to manipulate the sample;
• one or more processors;
• and
• a memory storing non-transitory computer readable instructions,
• the one or more processors configured to execute the non-transitory computer readable instructions to:
• translate the sample manipulator so that it is proximate to the sample, wherein a portion of the sample manipulator proximate to the sample is composed of a high sputter yield material;
• and
• mill, with a charged particle beam, the high sputter yield material such that portions of the high sputter yield material is removed from the sample manipulator, and wherein at least some of the removed high sputter yield material redeposits to form an attachment between the sample manipulator and the sample,
• wherein the one or more processors are configured to mill the high sputter yield material by milling multiple locations on the high sputter yield material proximate to the sample, wherein each of the multiple locations are located at an edge of the high sputter yield material proximate to the sample,
• wherein there are multiple regions of the high sputter yield material that are not milled away along the edge of the sample proximate to the sample, and wherein the at least some of the removed high sputter yield material redeposits to form a plurality of attachments between the sample and individual ones of the at least one region of the high sputter yield material along the edge proximate to the sample that is not milled away, and
• wherein the high sputter yield material corresponds to a rate of emission of greater than 5 atoms per ion when the high sputter yield material is irradiated with a 30 kV focused ion beam.