M1-2 Recent Advances in FIB Specimen Preparation and Nanostructuring.

In recent years the focused ion beam (FIB) technique has established itself as a capable and versatile tool in the field of materials science [1]. It is widely used for specimen preparation for transmission electron microscopy (TEM), whereby a variety of different techniques for preparation of thin TEM foils exist [1]. During the last years, accompanied by the increased number of dual beam FIB/SEM instruments, the in situ liftout method has become a routine method, particularly because of its high reliability. The in situ liftout method takes use of an internal micromanipulator tip, usually made of tungsten. After exposing the lamella by rough and quick FIB milling of two trenches, the specimen is cut free from the substrate except one or two anchor points. Using FIB-assisted local metal deposition the micromanipulator is welded to the lamella, which is subsequently cut free from the substrate, lifted out, and transferred to a TEM grid where it is securely attached by local metal deposition. Thinning the specimen to electron transparency is the final step, with the lamell