Patent ID: 6527967
Filing Date: 2003-03-04
Classification: G01N,H01J,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of forming a thin-piece sample for use in a transmission electron microscope, comprising:irradiating a single focused ion beam in a raster pattern from above an upper surface of a raw sample starting from a point on a first outer edge of the upper surface across the first outer edge to a second point on the first outer edge in a main scanning direction, being a wall-width direction, to remove a first planar section of the raw sample, and successively irradiating the single focused ion beam in the main scanning direction inwards toward a center of the raw sample in a first sub-scanning direction, being a wall-thickness direction, to remove planar sections successive to the first planar section of the raw sample; and irradiating the single focused ion beam in the raster pattern from above the upper surface of the raw sample starting from a point on a second outer edge of the upper surface across the second outer edge to a second point on the second outer edge in the main scanning direction to remove a second planar section of the raw sample, and successively irradiating the single focused ion beam in the main scanning direction inwards toward the center of the raw sample in a second sub-scanning direction that is opposite of the first sub-scanning direction to remove planar sections successive to the second planar section of the raw sample, wherein the second outer edge is opposite of the first outer edge, and the irradiating across the second outer edge occurs after completion of, removal of the planar sections successive to the first planar section of the raw sample.