Comparing Xe⁺pFIB and Ga⁺FIB for TEM sample preparation of Al alloys: Minimising FIB‐induced artefacts

Recently, the dual beam Xe+ plasma focused ion beam (Xe+ pFIB) instrument has attracted increasing interest for site-specific transmission electron microscopy (TEM) sample preparation for a local region of interest as it shows several potential benefits compared to conventional Ga+ FIB milling. Nevertheless, challenges and questions remain especially in terms of FIB-induced artefacts, which hinder reliable S/TEM microstructural and compositional...