Laser-assisted sample preparation of silicon for high-resolution transmission electron microscopy

A sample-polishing technique was developed to provide a well-defined thin foil of Si with a clean surface down to atomic dimensions. The resulting samples permit high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) imaging unobstructed by artifacts originating from a damaged sample. Samples were not polished by dynamic momentum transfer via accelerated ions like in ion milling; instead, valence electron excitation by photon absorption was used. HRTEM inspection showed that the foils prepared by this method were free from extrinsic lattice defects and had smooth surfaces down to atomic dimensions.