Patent ID: 8288740

Claim:
A method for making a specimen assembly for atom probe analysis, the method comprising: in an energetic-beam instrument, milling a post near a region of interest in a sample, so that the post has a free end and a base and a longitudinal axis; tilting the sample so as to substantially align the longitudinal axis of the post with the axis of the probe tip of a nano-manipulator probe shaft; thereafter, attaching the probe tip to the free end of the post; thereafter, cutting the post free from the sample at the base to form a rough specimen, so that the region of interest in the rough specimen is exposed at approximately the base of the post; providing a specimen assembly form; the specimen assembly form having an open area inside its perimeter; joining the probe shaft to the specimen assembly form, so that the region of interest in the rough specimen is located in the open area; and, cutting off the probe shaft outside the perimeter of the specimen assembly form.