Paper HI-ThP2
Optimized ex situ Lift Out of FIB Prepared Specimens

Thursday, November 2, 2017, 6:30 pm, Room Central Hall

Focused ion beam (FIB) microscopes may be used to prepare site specific lift out specimens for subsequent characterization by transmission electron microscopy, surface science, or other analytical techniques [1-3]. ex situ lift out (EXLO) exploits the physics of adhesion forces for picking up a specimen with a solid probe tip and placing or manipulating it to a suitable carrier [1-3]. In this presentation, techniques for fast, easy, and successful lift out and manipulation reproducibility rates are described. Once the specimen is lifted out to the probe, the probe can be rotated to position the specimen either on top of, or under the probe, depending on the type of carrier to be used. In addition, since the specimen is not rigidly fixed to the probe, the specimen orientation can be rotated about the probe using the carrier itself, for precise positioning in just a couple of minutes. Precise orientation of the specimen with respect to the probe provides the greatest success rates, reliability, and throughput of the manipulation process. These and other methods will be fully described and presented.

References:

[1] L.A. Giannuzzi et al., Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. Vol. 480 (1997), MRS, 19-27.

[2] L.A. Giannuzzi and F.A. Stevie (eds.) Introduction to Focused Ion Beams, (2005) Springer.

[3] L.A. Giannuzzi et al., Microsc. Microanal., 21, 1034–1048, (2015).