Application of PIPS II System for Cross-sectional TEM Specimen Preparation of Semiconductor Devices

This application note demonstrates the application of the PIPS II system for the cross-sectional specimen preparation for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has been developed during the recent years, mainly applied to thin film stacks of solar-cell devices. This approach consists of mechanical and argon (Ar) ion polishing of cross-section specimens, formed by face to face gluing of two thin film stacks using epoxy glue. This allows structural properties of individual layers and their interfaces can be analyzed at high resolution.