Patent ID: 6576894
Filing Date: 2003-06-10
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
A process for preparing an area for microanalysis, comprising:providing a substrate having an upper surface that includes said area that is to be microanalyzed; forming a first cavity, having a rectangular cross-section, that extends downwards into the substrate from the upper surface at an angle thereto; forming a second cavity, having a rectangular cross-section, that extends downwards into the substrate from the upper surface at said angle, whereby said cavities intersect and terminate along a line that is directly beneath said area to be microanalyzed, with said area being approximately located above the center of said line, thereby forming a third cavity, that has first and second opposing triangle-shaped vertical side-walls connected by sloping rectangular side-walls, said vertical side-walls being connected by a bridge of substrate material having a triangular cross-section and an underside; using a focused ion beam, coating said sloping side-walls with a layer of an electrically and thermally conductive material while simultaneously coating said bridge underside with material sputtered out of the layer by said focused ion beam; selectively removing a portion of the bridge, between the area to be microanalyzed and the first vertical side-wall, thereby forming a cantilever that is attached to the second vertical side-wall, the area to be microanalyzed being located near the cantilever's free end; and then performing the microanalysis.