Patent ID: 7897936

Claim:
A sample fabricating method comprising: a first step of irradiating a first ion beam at a surface of a specimen in order to form a first trench relative to the surface of the specimen, the surface of the specimen being set at a predetermined angle that is inclined relative to a right angle between the surface and an optical axis of the first ion beam during said first step of irradiating; a step of rotating the specimen approximately 180 degrees about a rotation axis perpendicular to the surface of the specimen after the first irradiating step while maintaining the specimen at the predetermined angle; and a second step of irradiating a second ion beam at the surface of the specimen in order to form a second trench relative to the surface of the specimen, the first and second trenches being formed to converge within the specimen to form a bottom of a sample, the surface of the specimen being set during the second step of irradiating at the same predetermined angle at which the surface of the specimen is set during the first step of irradiating, wherein the sample is defined by a pair of side walls which face each other as formed in the first irradiating step, the second irradiating step or in both the first and second irradiating steps, and wherein the sample is separated from the specimen or is prepared to be separated from the specimen.