On radiation damage in FIB-prepared softwood samples measured by scanning X-ray diffraction

The high flux density encountered in scanning X-ray nanodiffraction experiments can lead to severe radiation damage to biological samples. However, this technique is a suitable tool for investigating samples to high spatial resolution. The layered cell wall structure of softwood tracheids is an interesting system which has been extensively studied using this method. The tracheid cell has a complex geometry, which requires the sample to be prepared by cutting it perpendicularly to the cell wall axis. Focused ion beam (FIB) milling in combination with scanning electron microscopy allows precise alignment and cutting without splintering. Here, results of a scanning X-ray diffraction experiment performed on a biological sample prepared with a focused ion beam of gallium atoms are reported for the first time. It is shown that samples prepared and measured in this way suffer from the incorporation of gallium atoms up to a surprisingly large depth of 1 µm.