Ion trajectories in atom probe field ion microscopy and gas field ion sources

Nanoscale Microstructural Analyses by Atom Probe Field Ion Microscopy

Recent progress in atom probe field ion microscopy (APFIM) and its applications to nanoscale microstructural studies of metallic materials are reviewed. By employing a three dimensional atom probe (3DAP), it is possible to map out elemental distributions in the real space with almost an atomic resolution, and chemical analysis of interfaces and nanoparticles can be made with improved accuracy i...

Best Image Conditions in Field Ion Microscopy

The Field Ion Microscope image quality is dependent on operational ? which can be adjusted in order to improve resolution and contrast, he best image operation conditions are discussed with the aim to define them quantitatively. To do so, a JWKB calculation for the ionization distribution is used and a new interpretation of the best image conditions is proposed. An approximate range for the bes...

Computerized Imaging System for Field Ion Microscopy

Automated atom-by-atom 3D reconstruction of field ion microscopy data

An automated procedure has been developed for the 3D reconstruction of field ion microscopy (FIM) data that maintains the atomistic nature of the technique. FIM characterises individual atoms on the surface of a specimen, that is evolving subject to the process of field evaporation, in a series of 2D time-ordered images. It’s unique spatial resolution enables the direct imaging of crystal defec...

A Time-of-flight Atom-probe Field-ion Microscope for the Study of Defects in Metals

An ultra-high vacuum time-of-flight (TOF) atom-probe field-ion microscope (FIM) specifically designed for the study of defects in metals is described. Performance experiments show that this instrument can clearly resolve the seven stable isotopes of molybdenum, the five stable isotopes of tungsten, and the two stable isotopes of rhenium in a tungsten-25at.% rhenium alloy. The entire process of ...