Anti Curtaining Table
The Anti Curtaining Table is a four-axis positioning tool especially designed to allow tilting samples to ±90 deg while the entire stage is tilted to FIB angle using the FIB/SEMs sample stage. The ACT comprises four axes of motion: X (10 mm), Z (3 mm), rotation (unlimited), and tilt (±90 deg). After the ACT’s tilt axis has been centered 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 slices. The tilting platform is fitted with a positional encoder with a resolution of 0.1 deg.