TEM Lamella Preparation: Combine Flexibility and Automation using the ZEISS Crossbeam FIB-SEM

In this webinar, organized by the Materials Science Sector and AzO Network, you will gain insights into the significance and challenges of TEM sample preparation, as well as the advantages of using a ZEISS Crossbeam FIB-SEM. Professor Dariusz Jarząbek (Polish Academy of Sciences / Warsaw University of Technology) will present challenges and application examples of TEM lamella preparation within his research. Martina Schenkel (Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH) will explore capabilities of TEM Prep Automation workflows for research and demonstrate multisite lamella preparation for a variety of materials, ensuring high image quality for your TEM studies.

Professor Jarząbek discusses the methodology of preparing high-quality TEM lamellae and their application in both conventional and advanced characterization techniques. He will illustrate transmission-based methods, such as Transmission Kikuchi Diffraction (TKD) and the integration of TEM lamellae with Atomic Force Microscopy analyses. His work highlights the substantial challenges associated with milling lamellae from complex, multiphase systems, especially nitrided high-entropy alloys and other chemically heterogeneous materials. Strategies for mitigating artefacts such as re-deposition, bending, or selective sputtering are presented, together with case studies demonstrating practical solutions. He describes how optimized FIB preparation routes enable reliable nanoscale characterization even in extremely demanding material systems.

Key Learnings:

• How to automate the full TEM lamella workflow, from chunking and lift-out to thinning, using ZEN Core for TEM Prep Automation.
• How to increase throughput with multisite lamella preparation for diverse samples.
• How to achieve high repeatability and imaging quality for your TEM studies.
• How to switch between automated and manual prep workflows, depending on your research needs.
• Why this method is ideal for chip characterization, optical structure imaging, and more.