US 7,550,723 B2
	Atom probe apparatus and method for working sample preliminary for the same
Takashi Kaito, Chiba (Japan)
Assigned to SII NanoTechnology Inc., (Japan)
Appl. No. 10/592,844 PCT Filed Mar. 02, 2005, PCT No. PCT/JP2005/003495 § 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Nov. 20, 2006, PCT Pub. No. WO2005/090941, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 29, 2005.
Claims priority of application No. 2004-075873 (JP), filed on Mar. 17, 2004.
Prior Publication US 2007/0176099 A1, Aug. 02, 2007
Int. Cl. G01N 31/00 (2006.01); G01N 23/00 (2006.01); G01N 33/00 (2006.01); G21K 7/00 (2006.01); G21K 5/10 (2006.01); H01J 37/08 (2006.01); G01F 23/00 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 250—306  [250/304; 250/307; 250/309; 250/492.21; 250/440.11]

11 Claims

1. A method for working a sample preliminarily for an atom probe apparatus, comprising: a step of cutting out a desired sample observation part to a block-like form by using an FIB apparatus; a step of carrying and fixing the block-like cut-out sample onto a sample substrate; and a step of working the block-like sample fixed onto the sample substrate into a needle tip shape by an FIB etching, wherein the step of fixing the block-like cut-out sample onto the sample substrate includes a step of temporarily bonding it by an FIB-CVD, a step of cutting in a groove over a base part of the block-like sample and the sample substrate by an FIB etching, and a step of applying the FIB-CVD to the cut-in portion, thereby bonding and fixing the sample substrate and the block-like sample.