For large-scale cross-sectioning and delayering of heterogeneous materials, Tescan FemtoChisel™ uses true femtosecond laser processing to deliver material removal rates up to 2,000× faster than Xe plasma FIB and up to 10,000× faster than Ga FIB. This boosts lab productivity while reducing time-to-sample and cost-per-sample.

With proprietary intelligent multi-gas processing, a laser protective layer, and advanced temporal and spatial laser beam modulation, FemtoChisel™ enables final FIB polishing within a few microns of the target region. With <0.2 µm HAZ, it significantly reduces the required FIB processing time.

The combination of unprecedented laser fluence regimes and software-selectable multi-wavelength operation makes FemtoChisel™ material agnostic.

FemtoChisel™ intelligently navigates to the region of interest by importing images from CT, optical, or SEM instruments.

An integrated confocal height sensor with single-digit nanometer resolution, combined with high-resolution machine vision, supports in-process depth monitoring and accurate access to in-plane features of interest.

A full digital twin architecture enables field upgradeability, customization, and advanced recipe development.

 Prepare cubic millimeter-scale samples or access deeply buried regions of interest quickly and efficiently, even in non-conductive hard materials such as glass, polymers, and ceramics, by combining the high material removal rates of laser processing and plasma FIB.

Applications

 

Laser Only Large X section of an Intel 14 nm processor with no FIB polish 

Large Area Cross-Sectioning

Tescan FemtoChisel™ enables rapid, high-quality cross-sectioning across millimeter-scale areas, with minimal heat-affected zone formation and debris, even in highly heterogeneous material stacks. In many workflows, the resulting surfaces are suitable for analysis before FIB polishing, accelerating time-to-data and reserving FIB processing for the areas where it adds the most value.

Apple A15 package Laser Only Large area  Delayering  with High Surface Quality

Microelectronics Delayering

Tescan FemtoChisel™ enables controlled, layer-by-layer removal of complex microelectronic stacks, including highly heterogeneous materials, while minimizing damage to underlying structures. Integrated depth-based end pointing supports accurate stopping at target layers, producing surfaces suitable for many analysis workflows. Final FIB polishing can be applied only where ultra-high surface refinement is required. The current page already highlights large-area delayering of 5 to 10 mm with automated end pointing for layer-by-layer removal at laser speeds.

Laser-Only Fabricated Micropillars <20um diameter with Unprecedented Surface and Wall Quality

 

Micro and Nano Fabrication for Beamline, CT and APT

Tescan FemtoChisel™ enables precise micro- and nanoscale material removal for site-specific sample preparation in advanced characterization workflows, including synchrotron beamlines, nano-CT, and atom probe tomography (APT). High-quality surfaces and minimal damage help reduce downstream preparation time, with optional final FIB refinement applied only where needed.

Laser-only 50 µm × 50 µm × 100 µm-deep trenches with a 3 µm-thick bridge fabricated in ~30 seconds. All 12 trenches can be machined in <7 minutes

TEM Sample Preparation

Tescan FemtoChisel™ creates initial trenches and bridge structures, typically 1 to 3 µm thick, for TEM sample preparation with controlled laser processing, high precision, and minimal damage. This supports parallel preparation of multiple TEM lamellae, while final thinning and undercutting are completed in FIB only where needed. The result is a more efficient workflow with reduced FIB workload and faster preparation.

Laser-only large X section of an AMOLED display with all layers, including the glass layer, intact and free of cracks.

 

Glass Processing

Tescan FemtoChisel™ enables high-quality cross-sectioning of AMOLED display stacks, precise hole drilling in glass, and micro- and nanoscale fabrication with minimal cracking and thermal damage. Its ultrafast laser processing creates clean features in brittle and transparent materials, supporting both direct analysis and advanced device fabrication workflows

Tescan FemtoChisel™ Hierarchically Restructured (HSR), a medical device (Image courtesy of Dr. Amini & Integer Holding).

Surface Texturing

Tescan FemtoChisel™ enables precise, repeatable surface texturing at micro- and nanoscale, including the creation of complex 3D structures for tailored properties such as wettability, adhesion, and optical response. Its ultrafast laser processing minimizes thermal damage, supporting consistent structuring across a broad range of materials, including metals, polymers, and brittle substrates.