Micro-focus laser for fast ablation of material
Carl Zeiss
A configuration of the AURIGA CrossBeam workstation combines a pulsed micro-focus laser with FIB-SEM technology.
Carl Zeiss has launched the AURIGA Laser, a new advanced system combining the specific advantages of the AURIGA CrossBeam (FIB-SEM) workstation with the capabilities of a pulsed micro-focus laser for fast ablation of material.
AURIGA Laser is particularly useful for the examination of samples where the target structure is deeply buried under material layers.
To gain access to the target structure this material needs to be removed – a procedure which is difficult to conduct with conventional techniques.
Mechanical ablation and cross-sectioning of large material volumes often cause deformations, making the sample unsuitable for further examination. In contrast, applying a focused ion beam is inefficient, because the process is much too slow.
Ablation with a pulsed micro-focus laser beam offers clear advantages: it does not damage the sample, and it enables ablation rates comparable to mechanical removal.
The scanning laser used in this unique solution is a nanosecond pulsed, diode-pumped solid-state laser operating at 355 nm provided by TRUMPF AG (Ditzingen, Germany).
In order to protect the AURIGA FIB-SEM workstation and detectors from debris generated during the laser ablation process, the system is equipped with a separate chamber for laser operation.
After preparing the structure of interest with the laser the sample is transferred under vacuum conditions to the main chamber for SEM examination or FIB polishing. Retrieving the target structure is achieved automatically.
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