Preparation of the S/TEM Lamella of Commercial REBa₂Cu₃O_7-x Coated Conductors by FIB

This work explores the challenges associated with studying the microstructural properties of REBa<sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub>Cu<sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sub>O<sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">7-x</sub> (RE = rare-Earth, REBCO)-based coated conductors by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). This review highlights the crucial role of focused ion-beam (FIB) lift-out technique via scanning electron microscopy to be accurate during the preparation of thin lamellae. Challenges associated with FIB preparation, especially for multilayered materials, are thoroughly discussed, and potential solutions are proposed. The essential aspects are the chemical removal of the copper, silver, and superconducting layers before lamella preparations and the sensitivity of the silver protective layer to ambient conditions and beam irradiation. Furthermore, the study of the different etching processes for TEM lamella preparation also explores a new method for the recycling of single-crystal substrates.