Automated preparation of electron microscopy samples

Benefits for the customer and end-users:

• Time savings through fully automated and interference-free sample preparation.
• High quality of prepared samples.
• Mmaximized efficiency of the time the microscope is used.
• Configurable workflow allowing users to use a wide range of materials and samples.

Although it may seem misleading the AutoTEM is an application running on a special SEM microscope equipped with so-called ion cannon in addition to standard detectors and a source of electron radiation. Gallium ions are very heavy and their rectified beam thus enables "cutting" into a sample or transferring the cut parts by welding onto a so-called needle. So, the AutoTEM is an application for automatic sample preparation for TEM (transmission) electron microscopes. It is used for the preparation of so-called lamellas (a sample wafer with a thickness of about 100 nm), both in the field of biology and especially in the semiconductor industry. Just to give you an idea of how accurate the AutoTEM must be: the diameter of a human hair is between 18 and 180 μm. The diameter of a red blood cell is roughly 7.5 μm. As for processors, there can be on the order of ten thousand transistors on one square nanometre. This means that we would stack about 440 billion transistors on one red blood cell. The AutoTEM software together with a dual electron microscope can prepare a sample of even such a small transistor.