Abstract: Redeposition of substrate material on a fiducial resulting from charged particle beam (CPB) or laser beam milling of a substrate can be reduced with a shield formed on the substrate surface. The shield typically has a suitable height that can be selected based on proximity of an area to be milled to the fiducial. The shield can be formed with the milling beam using beam-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The same or different beams can be used for milling and beam-assisted CVD.

Abstract: Systems for and methods for generating precise structure reconstruction using slice and view images, are disclosed. An example method comprises, obtaining a slice and view images of a sample that depicts a 3D fiducial and cross-sections of a structure in the sample. The 3D fiducial is configured such that when a layer of material having a uniform thickness is removed from a surface of the sample that includes the 3D fiducial the cross-sectional shape of the 3D fiducial in the new surface is consistent. Relative positions are determined between the 3D fiducial the cross-sections of the structure in individual images. Positional relationships are then determined between the cross-sections of the structure in different images in a common reference frame based on the relative positions.

Abstract: Redeposition of substrate material on a fiducial resulting from charged particle beam (CPB) or laser beam milling of a substrate can be reduced with a shield formed on the substrate surface. The shield typically has a suitable height that can be selected based on proximity of an area to be milled to the fiducial. The shield can be formed with the milling beam using beam-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The same or different beams can be used for milling and beam-assisted CVD.

Abstract: Ion beams are directed to a substrate surface to expose a tapered, tilted surface in the substrate. The ion beams and the substrate are situated so that a first ion beam is incident along a first axis at a glancing angle, and a second ion beam is incident along a second axis in a plane defined by the glancing angle and at an angle with respect to the first axis. Exposure to the second ion beam tends to produced superior quality in the exposed surface such as by reducing curtain artifacts.

Abstract: Ion beams are directed to a substrate surface to expose a tapered, tilted surface in the substrate. The ion beams and the substrate are situated so that a first ion beam is incident along a first axis at a glancing angle, and a second ion beam is incident along a second axis in a plane defined by the glancing angle and at an angle with respect to the first axis. Exposure to the second ion beam tends to produced superior quality in the exposed surface such as by reducing curtain artifacts.