Journal
JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY
Volume 255, Issue 3, Pages 180-187Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/jmi.12150
Keywords
Direct writing; FIB; permanent marker deposition; protection layer; specimen preparation; TEM
Categories
Funding
- KRISS program [13011034]
- IT R&D program of the MKE/KEIT [10039226]
- Chungcheong Institute for Regional Program Evaluation
- Korean Ministry of Knowledge Economy
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Permanent marker deposition (PMD), which creates permanent writing on an object with a permanent marker, was investigated as a method to deposit a protection layer against focused ion beam damage. PMD is a simple, fast and cheap process. Further, PMD is excellent in filling in narrow and deep trenches, enabling damage-free observation of high aspect ratio structures with atomic resolution in transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The microstructure, composition, gap filling ability and planarization of the PMD layer were studied using dual beam focused ion beam, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy. It was found that a PMD layer is basically an amorphous carbon structure, and that such a layer should be at least 65 nm thick to protect a surface against 30 keV focused ion beam damage. We suggest that such a PMD layer can be an excellent protection layer to maintain a pristine sample structure against focused ion beam damage during transmission electron microscopy specimen preparation.
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