Innovative Specimen Preparation Method for TEM / STEM / SEM / EPMA / AUGER. The Ion Slicer can prepare thin-film specimens without solvents or chemicals and requires no prior treatment of the specimen other than rectangular slicing (no disc grinding or dimple grinding). The Ion Slicer prepares thin-film specimens faster and easier than conventional preparation tools. A low-energy, low-angle Ar ion beam irradiates the specimen while a thin shield belt allows low-angle irradiation of the Ar ion beam (from 0° to 6°), drastically reducing ion-beam irradiation damage to the specimen. The result is a high-quality thin film with few sputtering artifacts even in soft materials. The Ion Slicer can efficiently prepare thin films from specimens having different compositions, even those having porous composites.
