Method and apparatus for sample extraction and handling

A method for extracting a sample from a substrate, the method comprising:

• mounting the substrate with the sample to be extracted on a moveable stage, the sample having a planar face to be used as a probe attachment site;
• positioning the substrate relative to a microprobe having a cylindrical axis so that the cylindrical axis lies in a plane which is perpendicular to the sample face, said microprobe connected to a micromanipulator and mounted onto a probe stage that can rotate about the cylindrical axis of the probe, said microprobe having a generally flat tip which is beveled at an oblique tip angle with respect to the cylindrical axis of the microprobe;
• and said microprobe oriented so that the cylindrical axis of the microprobe is at an oblique probe angle with respect to the substrate surface and so that the beveled probe tip is substantially parallel to the sample face;
• moving the microprobe so that the microprobe tip comes into contact with a vertical face on the sample, the sample being physically connected to the substrate;
• lifting the microprobe with attached sample away from the substrate, severing the connection between the sample and the substrate;
• rotating the probe around its cylindrical axis through a first rotational angle so that the face of the beveled probe tip and the sample face are substantially parallel to the surface of a sample holder;
• positioning the probe so that the sample is generally above a desired position on the sample holder;
• lowering the probe until the sample comes in contact with the sample holder;
• depositing the sample onto the sample holder;
• moving the probe away from the released sample.