Damage of Minerals in the Preparation of Thin Slice Using Focused Ion Beam for Transmission Electron Microscopy

Focused ion beam (FIB) technique is widely used in the precise preparation of thin slices for the transmission electron microscopic (TEM) observation of target area of the minerals and geological materials. However, structural damages and artifacts by the Ga ion beam as well as electron beam damage are major difficulties in the TEM analyses. TEM analyses of the mineral samples showed the amorphization of quartz and feldspar, curtain effect, and Ga contamination, particularly near the grain edges and relatively thin regions. Although the ion beam damage could be much reduced by the improved procedures including the adjustment of the acceleration voltage and current, the ion beam damage and contamination are likely inevitable, thus requiring careful interpretation of the micro-structural and micro-chemical features observed by TEM analyses.