In situ lift-out using a FIB-SEM system

An in situ 'lift-out' technique for preparing transmission electron microscopy specimens, which is performed using secondary electron imaging within the chamber of a focused ion beam-SEM system is presented. The main advantage of this in situ approach, relative to the ex situ lift-out technique, is that secondary electron imaging enables higher magnifications to be used than is possible with optical microscopy. This makes the lift-out procedure more controllable and thus increases the overall success rate especially for inexperienced users. The technique is also compared with another in situ lift-out approach, the 'wedge' technique. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.