Teaching an Old Material New Tricks: Easy and Inexpensive Focused Ion Beam (FIB) Sample Protection Using Conductive Polymers

Abstract

This letter describes an innovative spin-coating system, built from off-the-shelf components, that can easily and inexpensively be integrated into any laboratory environment. Combined with a liquid suspension of conductive polymer, such a "rotary coater" enables simple coating of planar samples to create a physical protective barrier on the sample surface. This barrier aids in charge dissipation during scanning electron microscope and focused ion beam (FIB) imaging and provides wide-scale protection of the sample surface from ion bombardment during FIB imaging and gas-assisted deposition. This polymer layer replaces the localized and time-consuming electron beam deposition step typically performed during transmission electron microscopy lamella preparation. After observation, the coating can be easily removed, if desired. The described spin-coating procedure has minimal cost while providing repeatable positive results, without the need for expensive commercial coating instrumentation.

Analysis of the electronic and chemical structure in boron and phosphorus passivated 4H-SiC/SiO2 interfaces using HRTEM and STEM-EELS

“…High-resolution (HR) TEM was performed on crosssectional TEM samples, along with Z-contrast high angle annular dark-field scanning TEM (HAADF-STEM) and electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) using a JEOL JEM 2100F TEM/STEM equipped with a Gatan Tridiem imaging filter (GIF). Specimens were prepared using standard FIB procedures 33,34 with a Tescan Gaia FIB/SEM. TEM lamellae were polished to a final thickness between 20 nm and 50 nm using a 2 keV Ga þ FIB.…”