Sample Preparation

Non-Conductive samples often have a charging effect from electrons building up on the surface causing issues with collecting a good image. Ion Sputtering coating allows imaging at higher beam energies to obtain the highest resolution and magnification without concern of electron charge effects or beam damage to sensitive samples.

Ion milling is the process of removing the top amorphous layer on a material to reveal the pristine sample surface for high-resolution imaging and post-processing. It is essential in many cases such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Electron Back Scattered Diffraction (EBSD) studies.

Some of the key applications of these techniques are:

• Topside electronic de-processing – enabled by the advanced angular control and optical enhancements.
• Backside preparation of packages and wafers, particularly for flip-chips – and rapid global thinning of larger surfaces.
• Cross-sectioning of die and package-level devices.

Mechanical Cross Section is a failure analysis technique used to examine the structure of a sample orthogonal to the surface. Methods include using a diamond wheel or grinding with abrasive paper. After Mechanical Cross Sectioning, the sample could undergo different analytical techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive X-Ray.