Atom Probe Tomography: A Tutorial

Extract

Atom probe tomography (APT) is an ultrahigh resolution microanalytical technique that enables the spatial coordinates and elemental identities of the atoms in a small volume of material to be determined. The specimen volume that may be analyzed is typically ∼ 10 to 20 nm square by ∼ 100 to 250 nm deep, and contains up to ∼ 1 million atoms. The distribution of the solute atoms within this volume may then be reconstructed from these data. The compositions of small volumes are determined by simply counting the number of atoms of each type within that volume, and thus the technique provides a fundamental measure of local concentrations. Atom probe tomography requires that the specimen has some electrical conductivity and may be applied to almost all metals and alloys, many semiconductors, and some electrically conducting ceramics. The sharp needle-shaped specimens may be fabricated from bulk and thin film materials with the use of electropolishing, chemical or ion milling methods.