LAUSR

One of the most popular tools for TEM specimen preparation is gallium focused ion beam (FIB). It is well known that the FIB’s high-energy Ga ions can damage a specimen’s crystalline structure by introducing lattice defects (strain induction). FIB milling can also implant gallium ions into the specimen surface and cause surface amorphization [1]. An accurate and reproducible specimen preparation method that removes gallium and amorphous damage after FIB processing is necessary for TEM analysis. This work demonstrates how the quality of TEM specimens after FIB can be improved by using low energy argon ion milling.