Revisiting the FIB TEM Lift-Out Specimen Preparation Technique

Abstract In recent years, the focused ion beam (FIB) instrument has developed into a mainstay tool for the production of specimens for both scanning and transmission electron microscopy ((S)TEM). The inception and subsequent development of the FIB TEM lift-out (LO) technique has enabled electron transparent membranes of generally uniform thickness to be produced for TEM analysis. In general, the primary advantage of the FIB is that site specific sections may be fabricated quickly (e.g., < 1 hour) and reproducibly. Specifically, the FIB LO technique has been used extensively in our laboratories to produce on the order of a thousand Si-based specimens per year and hundreds of other specimens per year that have included metals, ceramics, composites, biological materials, geological materials, polymers, particles, and fibers, prepared in cross-section, plan view, and from fracture surfaces.