TEM Observation of Micrometer-Sized Ni Powder Particles Thinned by FIB Cutting Technique

Abstract

A focused-ion-beam (FIB) cutting technique has been successfully applied to prepare TEM specimens of micrometer-sized powder particles (MISP) of Ni. Not only low magnification images but also high resolution TEM (HREM) images were obtained from the thinned area of powder particles. It has been found that MISP of Ni consists of a number of small sub-micrometer grains and they are surrounded by rather sharp grain boundaries. It has been recognized that the FIB cutting technique is a powerful technique in TEM sample preparation for materials which had not been investigated due to difficulties of thinning treatment