Method for sample preparation
AssigneeJEOL Ltd.
InventorYusuke Kagaya
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Method and system for preparing samples for use in electron microscopy. The method and system use a focused ion beam (FIB) instrument and a scanning electron microscope to improve the time efficiency of the FIB instrument. The FIB instrument incorporates machining means for preparing thin-film samples by ion beam irradiation. The scanning electron microscope incorporates a gas supply means and a manipulator equipped with a probe. The gas supply means ejects gas at the sample after it has been shifted from the FIB instrument together with a sample holder. The sample is irradiated with an electron beam while the gas is injected at the sample from the gas supply means under the condition where the probe is contacted with the sample. Thus, the sample is bonded to the probe.
Claims2
A method for sample preparation, comprising the steps of:
- providing a sample preparation system having a focused ion beam instrument for sample machining and an independent and spaced scanning electron microscope;
- preparing said scanning electron microscope having gas supply means for supplying gas to surround a sample and having a manipulator equipped with a probe;
- preparing a thin-film sample on a sample holder using a machining function of said focused ion beam instrument;
- shifting the prepared thin-film sample to said scanning electron microscope together with a sample holder;
- and
- irradiating the thin-film sample with an electron beam of said electron microscope while injecting the gas at the thin-film sample from the gas supply means under the condition where the probe is contacted with the sample, whereby the thin-film sample is bonded to the probe.
A method for sample preparation, comprising the steps of:
- providing a sample preparation system having a focused ion beam instrument for sample machining and an independent and spaced scanning electron microscope;
- preparing said scanning electron microscope having gas supply means for supplying gas to surround a sample and having a manipulator equipped with a probe with associated air-lock chamber;
- preparing a thin-film sample on a sample holder using a machining function of said focused ion beam instrument;
- shifting the prepared thin-film sample to said scanning electron microscope together with a sample holder;
- and
- irradiating the thin-film sample with an electron beam of said electron microscope while injecting the gas at the thin-film sample from the gas supply means under the condition where the probe is contacted with the sample, whereby the thin-film sample is bonded to the probe, and removing the thin-film sample via the air-lock chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.