Preparation of High-Quality Samples for MEMS-Based In-Situ (S)TEM Experiments.

A novel focused ion beam (FIB)-based methodology for the preparation of clean and artifact-free specimens on micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS)-based chips for in-situ electrical and electro-thermal experiments in a (scanning) transmission electron microscope ((S)TEM) is introduced. Owing to an alternative geometry, the lamellae are attached to a MEMS-based chip directly after the lift-out procedure and afterward further treated or thinned to electron transparency. The quality of produced lamellae on a chip resembles the quality of a classical FIB-prepared sample that is here demonstrated by high-resolution STEM imaging and analytical techniques. Various sample preparation parameters and the performance of in-situ prepared samples have been evaluated through electrical-biasing experiments.