Amorphization induced by focused ion beam milling in metallic and electronic materials

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Microscopy

Background:

• Focused ion beam (FIB) milling is a common technique for preparing specimens for transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
• High-energy gallium ions used in FIB milling can induce amorphization at specimen edges.
• This amorphization negatively affects the quality and clarity of TEM images.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the extent and nature of amorphization induced by FIB milling.
• To analyze the impact of FIB milling on different material types.
• To understand the influence of amorphization on high-resolution TEM imaging.

Main Methods:

• Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to examine specimens after FIB milling.
• Three material types were analyzed: bulk metallic materials, semiconductive materials, and electronic ceramic materials.
• The study focused on the edge regions of the milled specimens.

Main Results:

• FIB milling was confirmed to induce amorphization in all investigated materials.
• The degree of amorphization varied depending on the material type.
• Amorphization at specimen edges was observed to degrade the clearness of TEM micrographs.

Conclusions:

• FIB milling, while essential for TEM specimen preparation, introduces artifacts like amorphization.
• Understanding and mitigating FIB-induced amorphization is crucial for obtaining high-quality TEM data.
• Further research may explore alternative milling strategies or post-milling treatments to minimize amorphization.