Imaging methods

1. A method of imaging, the method comprising:

defining a lamella within a microelectronics device, wherein the lamella comprises a region of interest, a first surface, and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the microelectronics device comprises a first sacrificial layer contacting the first surface and a second sacrificial layer contacting the second surface, and wherein the region of interest comprises a material of interest;

selecting a transmission electron microscope imaging technique capable of detecting the material of interest;

removing the lamella, the first sacrificial layer, and the second sacrificial layer from the microelectronics device;

removing the second sacrificial layer from the second surface;

forming a support layer on the second surface after removing the second sacrificial layer from the second surface, wherein the support layer comprises a material transparent to the transmission electron microscope imaging technique;

removing the first sacrificial layer after forming the support layer; and

producing an image of the region of interest with the transmission electron microscope.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein removing the second sacrificial layer from the second surface further comprises milling the second sacrificial layer from the second surface with a focused ion beam.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein forming the support layer further comprises depositing the support layer with a focused ion beam.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein removing the first sacrificial layer further comprises milling the first sacrificial layer with a focused ion beam.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein defining the lamella further comprises defining a lamella having a thickness of no more than about 30 nanometers.

6. A method of imaging, the method comprising:

defining a lamella within a microelectronic device, wherein the lamella comprises a region of interest, a first surface, and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the region of interest comprises a material of interest, and wherein the microelectronic device comprises a first sacrificial layer contacting the first surface;

selecting an imaging technique capable of detecting the material of interest;

forming a support layer on the second surface, wherein the support layer comprises a material transparent to the imaging technique;

removing the first sacrificial layer from the first surface after forming the support layer; and

producing an image of the region of interest with the imaging technique.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising removing the lamella and the first sacrificial layer from the microelectronic device.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein selecting an imaging technique capable of detecting the material of interest further comprises selecting a sample preparation technique capable of rendering the material of interest visible to a transmission electron microscope.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein:

defining the lamella further comprises defining the lamella wherein the microelectronic device comprises a second sacrificial layer contacting the second surface;

removing the region of interest and the first sacrificial layer further comprises removing the region of interest, the first sacrificial layer, and the second sacrificial layer; and wherein the method further comprises;

removing the second sacrificial layer from the lamella prior to depositing the support layer on the second surface of the lamella.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein defining a lamella further comprises defining a lamella having a thickness of no more than about 30 nanometers.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein removing the first sacrificial layer from the first surface further comprises milling the first sacrificial layer with a focused ion beam.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein selecting the imaging technique further comprises determining a transmission electron microscope technique capable of imaging the region of interest.

13. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of inspecting the image of the region of interest for microelectronic device manufacturing quality control purposes.

14. A method of imaging, the method comprising:

defining a lamella within a microelectronics device, wherein the lamella comprises a region of interest, a first surface, and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the region of interest has a known composition, and wherein the microelectronics device comprises a first sacrificial layer directly contacting the first surface;

depositing a support layer on the lamella second surface;

removing the first sacrificial layer from the first surface of the lamella;

utilizing a sample preparation technique on the lamella that renders the known composition of the region of interest visible to a transmission electron microscope; and

producing an image of the region of interest with the transmission electron microscope.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of removing the first sacrificial layer and the lamella from the microelectronic device.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein:

defining the lamella further comprises defining the lamella such that a second sacrificial layer of the microelectronics device contacts the second surface;

removing the first sacrificial layer and the lamella from the microelectronic device further comprises removing the first sacrificial layer, the second sacrificial layer, and the lamella from the microelectronic device, and wherein the method further comprises; and wherein the method further comprises;

removing the second sacrificial layer from the second surface prior to depositing the support layer on the second surface.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein depositing the support layer further comprises depositing the support layer with a focused ion beam.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein removing the first sacrificial layer further comprises milling the first sacrificial layer with a focused ion beam.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein depositing the support layer further comprises depositing a support layer that is transparent to the transmission electron microscope.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein defining the lamella further comprises defining a lamella having a thickness of no more than about 30 nanometers.