Streamline TEM Sample Preparation of Challenging Materials with Tescan FIB-SEM Workflows

Why Conventional FIB Workflows Struggle with TEM Sample Preparation

Preparing TEM specimens from thick or brittle materials like SiC is challenging. Conventional FIB thinning often fails with layers above 20 µm, while mechanical methods risk damaging fragile samples. Limited orientation control makes it difficult to capture defects across the full cross-section.

As a result, critical information such as stacking faults or dislocation networks can remain hidden, leading to incomplete analysis.

Tescan FIB-SEM with OptiLift™ solves these issues by enabling large-area lift-out, rotation, and thinning within a single streamlined workflow.

Prepare lamellae exceeding 50 µm without distortion

• Rotate samples by 90° post lift-out to achieve optimal geometry
• Perform thinning and polishing with minimized curtaining artifacts
• Visualize defects in-situ using integrated STEM detectors
• Transition seamlessly from lift-out to TEM-ready samples without workflow interruption

Overcome the constraints of conventional TEM sample preparation and achieve reliable results even with challenging materials and complex geometries.

How TEM Sample Preparation Was Performed Using Tescan FIB-SEM with OptiLift™

A silicon carbide (SiC) specimen was chosen to demonstrate TEM preparation from a thick, brittle layer. Using plasma FIB, a trench was milled and a 55 × 30 µm lamella was undercut before being lifted out with Tescan’s OptiLift™ nanomanipulator.

The lamella was rotated by 90° post lift-out to achieve optimal geometry for thinning. Final polishing minimized curtaining artifacts and produced a uniform, electron-transparent specimen.

In-situ HAADF STEM imaging within the FIB-SEM revealed stacking faults and dislocations, allowing defect assessment before TEM transfer. This streamlined workflow enabled reliable preparation of large lamellae for accurate structural and defect analysis.

Large-Area TEM Lamellae Enable Reliable Defect Characterization in SiC

Tescan FIB-SEM with OptiLift™ enabled preparation of large, electron-transparent lamellae from a 30 µm thick SiC layer. Rotating the specimen by 90° post lift-out ensured optimal geometry for thinning, producing uniform lamellae suitable for high-resolution analysis.

In-situ HAADF STEM imaging revealed stacking faults and dislocations across the full cross-section, including at the SiC–substrate interface. Defects that typically remain hidden with conventional workflows were clearly visualized and linked to potential device reliability issues.

This integrated workflow combined precise lift-out, controlled thinning, and in-situ defect imaging in a single instrument. The result was consistent lamella quality, fewer preparation artifacts, and more complete characterization without additional tools or complex transfers.