Kleindiek ATC anti-curtaining stage

The Kleindiek ACT Anti Curtaining Table is a compact four-axis positioning tool especially designed to significantly reduce or eliminate curtaining artefact during FIB milling. The ACT is fitted onto the existing FIB specimen stage and then creates a dynamic rocking motion during FIB milling to prevent curtaining. The SEM micrograph of a semiconductor below right shows the difference between FIB milling without ACT and reduction of curtaining with ACT.

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Travel: X = 10 mm
Travel: Z = 3 mm
Travel: R = 360° (unlimited)
Travel: T = ± 90°, with encoder
Absolute accuracy: T < 0.2° (3 x 10-3 rad)
Repeatability: T < 0.03 deg (4 x 10-4 rad)
Resolution: Linear axes < 0.5 nm
Resolution: Rotational axes < 6 x 10-6 deg (10-7 rad)
Speed: up to 1 mm/s
Cartesian movement
Drift < 1.5 nm/min
No backlash or reversal play
Coarse and fine displacement in one drive
Virtually insusceptible to vibrations

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Anti Curtaining Table

The ACT allows tilting of samples to ±90° while the entire stage is tilted to FIB angle using the FIB/SEMs stage. ACT has four axes of motion: X, Z, rotation, and tilt. After the tilt axis has been centred under the electron beam, the region of interest can be moved into position, rotated to adjust the orientation, and lifted up to the tilt axis, allowing true eucentric tilt. This tilt axis can then itself be tilted using the microscope’s stage. In this manner it is possible to rock the sample back and forth on an axis that is perpendicular to the focussed ion beam while producing cross-sections or TEM lamellae. The tilting platform is fitted with a positional encoder with a resolution of 0.1 deg.

Ordering information:

ACT anti-curtaining stage

The ACT stage can be adapted to any existing FIB stage. When requesting a quotation please advise us what make and model of instrument you wish to fit it to.