Method for preparing a sample for microstructure diagnostics, wherein a sample body with a predeterminable form is prepared from a substrate by way of material-ablating laser beam processing and subsequently a target portion of the sample body is processed further by way of laser beam processing and/or ion beam processing in order to expose a target volume that is suitable for a microstructure examination, comprising the following steps: (a) releasing the sample body from the substrate by means of at least one laser processing operation by radiating-in at least one laser beam in a manner perpendicular and/or oblique to a substrate surface in such a way that a sample body arises, said sample body being delimited at a sample body top side by a region of the substrate surface and, laterally, by side faces (S1, S2, S3) oriented in an oblique or perpendicular manner in relation to the substrate surface, wherein a form of the sample body is generated, which form has at least one solid handling portion (HA, HA1, HA2) and, adjoining the handling portion, a target portion which is thinner relative to the handling portion, said target portion being delimited at a narrow side by the sample body top side and, laterally, by side faces (S1, S3) extending in a perpendicular or oblique manner in relation to the sample body top side, wherein the sample body is designed in such a way that an interior angle arises between the target portion and an adjoining handling portion (HA1, HA2), with a side face of the target portion and a side face of the handling portion (HA1, HA2) intersecting at an angle at said interior angle; (b) producing a sample body holder which is separate from the sample body and which has accommodation structures adapted to the form of the sample body for the purposes of accommodating the sample body in a defined accommodation position, wherein the accommodation structures have one or more holding webs (HST1, HST2) for affixing the sample body and an exterior angle adapted to the interior angle is formed on a holding web; (c) removing the sample body that was released from the substrate; (d) affixing the sample body removed from the substrate to the accommodation structures of the sample body holder, wherein a defined area contact is generated at two faces at an angle to one another of the interior angle and of the exterior angle of the holding web when affixing the sample body to the sample body holder, and so the position of the sample body in respect of the sample body holder is set in at least two mutually perpendicular directions; (e) carrying out at least one further material-ablating processing step of at least one side face of the sample body in the region of the target portion by means of laser beam processing and/or ion beam processing for the purposes of exposing the target volume. (a) releasing the sample body from the substrate by means of at least one laser processing operation by radiating-in at least one laser beam in a manner perpendicular and/or oblique to a substrate surface in such a way that a sample body arises, said sample body being delimited at a sample body top side by a region of the substrate surface and, laterally, by side faces (S1, S2, S3) oriented in an oblique or perpendicular manner in relation to the substrate surface, wherein a form of the sample body is generated, which form has at least one solid handling portion (HA, HA1, HA2) and, adjoining the handling portion, a target portion which is thinner relative to the handling portion, said target portion being delimited at a narrow side by the sample body top side and, laterally, by side faces (S1, S3) extending in a perpendicular or oblique manner in relation to the sample body top side, wherein the sample body is designed in such a way that an interior angle arises between the target portion and an adjoining handling portion (HA1, HA2), with a side face of the target portion and a side face of the handling portion (HA1, HA2) intersecting at an angle at said interior angle; (b) producing a sample body holder which is separate from the sample body and which has accommodation structures adapted to the form of the sample body for the purposes of accommodating the sample body in a defined accommodation position, wherein the accommodation structures have one or more holding webs (HST1, HST2) for affixing the sample body and an exterior angle adapted to the interior angle is formed on a holding web; (c) removing the sample body that was released from the substrate; (d) affixing the sample body removed from the substrate to the accommodation structures of the sample body holder, wherein a defined area contact is generated at two faces at an angle to one another of the interior angle and of the exterior angle of the holding web when affixing the sample body to the sample body holder, and so the position of the sample body in respect of the sample body holder is set in at least two mutually perpendicular directions; (e) carrying out at least one further material-ablating processing step of at least one side face of the sample body in the region of the target portion by means of laser beam processing and/or ion beam processing for the purposes of exposing the target volume.