Sample Preparation of Commercial Multiple Quantum Well Laser Diodes for Structural, Compositional and Electrical Analysis in a Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope

Simultaneous acquisition of the structural, chemical, and electrical properties of semiconductor samples can be acquired using STEM analysis, provided it is equipped with an Electron Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) detector and an Electron Beam Induced Current (EBIC) system. However, the sample preparation required for this detailed analysis can be time consuming and difficult. The preparation for STEM-EBIC analysis is especially intricate because electrical contacts must be provided to the sample and the specific region of interest has to be thinned for electron transmission. This chapter focuses on a novel approach to the preparation of fully packaged commercial Multiple Quantum Well (MQW) laser diodes for STEM- EBIC analysis. The sample preparation is divided into several steps, including mechanical thinning, grid and wire attachment, and Focused Ion Beam (FIB) milling to create an electron transparent membrane.