Gatan, Pleasanton, Calif., offers the Ilion II ion polisher for cross-sectioning advanced packages for failure analysis. The instrument allows the preparation of high-quality planar cross sections from difficult samples that do not lend themselves to mechanical polishing or focused ion beam milling. The Ilion can perform masked broad ion beam milling, also known as “slope cutting.”
This low-energy surface preparation technique utilizes a large (one millimeter) ion beam to strip away an extensive, finely polished area for subsequent microscopy and microanalysis. A solid, sputter- resistant shield blocks half of the ion beam, effectively masking the lower half of the beam and creating a lateral sputtering plane that strips away a thin layer of the sample surface. The resulting surface is very flat and usually free of artifacts.
The Ilion II is a fast and user-friendly broad argon beam tool for cross-sectioning advanced packages or SEM specimen preparation. The system is said to drastically reduce the time and cost to prepare challenging samples for failure analysis or microstructure characterization.
Advantages:
-Vacuum load-lock and liquid nitrogen cold stage to provide rapid workflows on beam-sensitive samples
-Real-time observation of the polishing process, including an optical microscope with digital imaging. Images can be stored and analyzed with DigitalMicrograph software from Gatan.
-Repeatable results from recipes and operation of the Ilion II via a 10-inch color touch screen interface
-Damage-free surfaces for analytical techniques, such as cathodoluminescence and EBSD, where the signal is generated near the surface.
