Method for stem sample inspection in a charged particle beam instrument

1. A method for examination of an excised sample in a charged particle beam instrument, where the sample has a long axis, and where the charged particle beam instrument comprises:

an ion-beam;

a specimen stage;

the specimen stage having at least one tilt axis substantially perpendicular to the axis of the ion beam;

an electron beam;

the electron beam having an axis; and,

an X-Y plane;

a nano-manipulator; the nano-manipulator having a probe shaft; the probe shaft having an axis;

the probe shaft further having a probe tip;

a cassette for holding probe tips;

the cassette having at least one probe tip-station for receiving a probe tip;

each probe-tip station capable of receiving a probe tip at an angle from the X-Y plane of the charged particle beam instrument equal to a pre-determined fourth angle;

where the method comprises:

calculating a first angle as a function of:

a pre-determined second angle that is the angle of tilt of the specimen stage relative to the X-Y plane of the charged particle beam instrument;

a pre-determined third angle that is the angle between the tilt axis of the specimen stage and the projection onto the X-Y plane of the axis of the probe shaft; and,

the pre-determined fourth angle that is the inclination of the axis of the probe shaft relative to the X-Y plane of the charged particle beam instrument;

calculating a fifth angle as a function of the first, second, third, and fourth angles, where the fifth angle is the angle between the long axis of the sample and the projection of the axis of the probe shaft onto the X-Y plane;

rotating the specimen stage to the calculated fifth angle, whereby the projection of the axis of the probe shaft onto the X-Y plane is collinear with the long axis of the sample;

attaching the sample to the probe tip;

lifting out the sample with the probe tip;

rotating the probe shaft by the calculated first angle, whereby the sample is placed substantially perpendicular to the axis of the electron beam; and,

releasing the probe tip with the sample attached from the probe shaft into the probe-tip station of the cassette, whereby the sample remains oriented substantially perpendicular to the axis of the electron beam.

2. The method of claim 1 where calculating the first angle and the fifth angle comprises transforming an angle-axis representation of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth angles to a rotation matrix representation.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising imaging the sample by a transmitted electron detector placed beneath the cassette.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

carrying out STEM analysis on the sample while the sample is in the probe-tip station;

engaging the probe tip by the nano-manipulator probe shaft;

rotating the probe shaft by an angle in the opposite sense of the first angle; and,

carrying out STEM analysis on the sample.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

thinning the sample after attaching the sample to the TEM grid;

carrying out additional STEM analysis on the sample; and,

transferring the cassette and sample outside the charged particle beam instrument.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transferring the cassette holding the sample outside the charged particle beam instrument.

7. The method of claim 1 , where the charged particle beam instrument further comprises:

a cassette holder, the cassette holder capable of releasably holding the cassette;

the cassette holder having an opening beneath the sample released into the probe-tip station;

the method comprising:

moving the cassette holder to a position under the electron beam, so that the electron beam passes through the sample and the opening.

8. The method of claim 7 , where the charged particle beam instrument further comprises a substage; the method comprising:

mounting the cassette holder onto the substage; and,

tilting the substage in a direction substantially orthogonal to the tilt axis of the stage.