Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) is a versatile tool used in a variety of research, industrial and commercial applications, be it for topographical/morphological characterization, quality control, failure analysis, forensic investigation, elemental composition analysis and much more. However, obtaining the desired information with good quality is not always as straightforward as one might think, and the data quality can only be as good as the sample. Therefore, careful sample preparation is a prerequisite to any good SEM analysis.

To study layers structure and composition or observe microstructures inside samples, it is often necessary to prepare cross sections. However, avoiding sample damage can be challenging. While simple scissor or razor blade cuts are straightforward, these “mechanical" operations generally introduce significant artifacts, such as tool marks and/or broken or squeezed structures. In such cases, using ion beam cross section polishing is a great way to produce clean and damage-free cross sections ready to be analyzed in the SEM.

In this presentation, we will show how using an Argon-beam Cross-Section Polisher (CP) dramatically improves the quality of cross-section samples, producing highly polished cross sections free of artifacts. The functionality of CP (adjustable ion current, sample cooling possibilities etc.) allows the preparation of a wide range of materials, from easy deformable and soft materials to hard or mixed materials. Several application examples will be discussed in this presentation.