Patent ID: 8678555

Claim:
A method for preparing an integrated circuit or micro-electro-mechanical system chip sample for ion beam cross-section polishing, comprising the steps of: preparing a polymer coating formulation comprising: a novolac epoxy resin having an epoxide equivalent ranging from about 190 to about 250; a bisphenol-A/epichlorhydrin epoxy resin having an epoxide equivalent of greater than about 1000; a photoacid generator; an adhesion promoter; and a mixture of organic solvent including acetophenone, cyclohexanone and butyrolactone; cleaning the integrated circuit or micro-electro-mechanical system chip sample to remove unnecessary components; cleaving the integrated circuit or micro-electro-mechanical system chip sample to have the area of interest close to the cutting edge; putting the integrated circuit or micro-electro-mechanical system chip sample in a metal tray on a hot plate; heating the hot plate; dropping the polymer coating solution onto the integrated circuit or micro-electro-mechanical system chip sample and shaking the metal tray to spread out the polymer coating solution on channels and surfaces of the integrated circuit or micro-electro-mechanical system chip sample; keeping the integrated circuit or micro-electro-mechanical system chip sample heated on the hot plate to expel voids and remove residual solvents in the polymer coating; irradiating the integrated circuit or micro-electro-mechanical system chip sample with an ultraviolet light to cure the polymer coating; and removing the integrated circuit or micro-electro-mechanical system chip sample from the metal tray.