FIB (Focused Ion Beam)
Definition
A technique using a focused gallium ion beam to mill a specimen at a specific site-selected location, producing a TEM-quality cross-section with nanometre precision from a defined point in the bulk material.
- Beam type
- Focused gallium ion beam
- Output
- TEM-quality cross-section
- Precision
- Nanometre scale
- Site control
- Milled at a specific chosen location
Common questions
What advantage does site-selective milling give over standard TEM sample prep?+
Conventional TEM thinning covers a broad area chosen mostly by convenience, while FIB milling lets the examiner target one exact feature, such as a specific particle or interface, and cut precisely through it.
What is FIB typically paired with in forensic materials examination?+
It is commonly combined with SEM imaging in a dual-beam instrument, so the same feature can be imaged, milled, and then examined at higher resolution without moving the specimen between separate machines.
Related terms
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- Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS)
- An X-ray detection method that simultaneously measures the energies of all characteristic X-ray photons emitted from the interaction volume, identifying all elements...
- Interaction Volume
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- Lead-Free GSR
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- Secondary Electron (SE)
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- Silicon Drift Detector (SDD)
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- Ultramicrotome
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- ZAF Correction
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