Cao L, Zhu Y, Wang X
ZEISS Research Microscopy Solutions, Carl Zeiss (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., 60 Meiyue Road, Shanghai 200131, China.
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Modern Physics, Lanzhou 730000, China; School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
Ultramicroscopy. 2023 Jun;248:113714. doi: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2023.113714. Epub 2023 Mar 4.
There is an increasing interest in understanding materials' mechanical properties at small length scales. Mechanical testing from nano- to meso-scale has seen a rapid development over the last decade, leading to a high demand of sample fabrication. In the present work, a novel method of micro-and nanomechanical sample preparation is introduced based on a new technique combining femtosecond laser and focused ion beam (FIB), namely LaserFIB. The new method greatly simplifies the sample preparation workflow by taking advantage of the fast milling-rate of femtosecond laser and the high precision of FIB. It significantly improves the processing efficiency and success rate, allowing for the high-throughput preparation of reproducible micro- and nanomechanical specimens. The novel method has far more advantages: (1) it allows for site-specific sample preparation based on scanning electron microscope (SEM) characterization (lateral and depth direction of bulk material) (2) following the new workflow, mechanical specimens are still connected to the bulk by its natural bonding, yielding more reliable mechanical testing results; (3) it extends the processable sample size to meso-scale while still remaining high precision and high efficiency; (4) the seamless transfer between laser and FIB/SEM chamber greatly reduces the risk of sample damage and is very friendly for environmental sensitive materials. The new method solves critical problems for high-throughput multiscale mechanical sample preparation, greatly contributing to the development of nano to meso-scale mechanical testing by making sample preparation efficient and convenient.
人们对在小长度尺度上理解材料的力学性能越来越感兴趣。从纳米尺度到中观尺度的力学测试在过去十年中得到了迅速发展，这导致了对样品制备的高需求。在本工作中，基于飞秒激光和聚焦离子束（FIB）相结合的新技术，即激光FIB，引入了一种新颖的微纳机械样品制备方法。该新方法利用飞秒激光的快速铣削速率和FIB的高精度，极大地简化了样品制备流程。它显著提高了加工效率和成功率，能够高通量制备可重复的微纳机械试样。该新颖方法具有更多优势：（1）它允许基于扫描电子显微镜（SEM）表征（块状材料的横向和深度方向）进行特定位置的样品制备；（2）按照新的工作流程，机械试样仍通过其天然键合与块状材料相连，从而产生更可靠的力学测试结果；（3）它将可加工的样品尺寸扩展到中观尺度，同时仍保持高精度和高效率；（4）激光与FIB/SEM腔室之间的无缝转移大大降低了样品损坏的风险，并且对环境敏感材料非常友好。该新方法解决了高通量多尺度机械样品制备的关键问题，通过使样品制备高效便捷，极大地促进了纳米到中观尺度力学测试的发展。
