What is a focused ion beam and TEM sample preparation ?

A focused ion beam (FIB) is a technique for site-specific milling and modification of a sample typically using a Gallium ions beam focussed down to a few nm.

FIB applications: Dual beam, ion beam, and SEM for milling samples; TEM sample preparation; deposition; and imaging samples.

Sample preparation encompasses all the steps necessary for the modification of a sample into a specimen suitable for SEM or TEM analysis. Our sample preparation room is designed to process samples for both the SEM (cutting, grinding and polishing) and the TEM (cutting, grinding, dimpling, wedge polishing and ion milling). In addition, we can coat the sample with gold, gold/palladium or carbon to eliminate charging in the SEM and TEM.