Atom probe – Cameca Leap 4000X HR

Atom probe tomography is the most advanced technique currently available for analyzing the chemical composition of a sample with atomic resolution. It involves the stepwise evaporation of a fine needle from the material to be analyzed. Throughout the process, the chemical composition of each ejected atom is determined by position-informed time of flight mass spectroscope, and a 3D reconstruction of the original sample showing individual atoms can be achieved. The WWI chair has been operating a state-of-the-art LEAP 4000X HR built by CAMECA since July 2015. Compared to previous generations of instruments, this setup provides a wide field of view, allowing imaging of samples as small as 150 nm along with improved mass resolution. Unlike an ordinary electrical pulse, the use of a UV laser for heat evaporation enables the study of non-conductive materials. The atom probe is used to characterize all materials studied at WWI. It allows identification of the diffusion and segregation processes of certain elements that occur during the fabrication of nanomaterials such as ARB and ECAP materials, high-temperature superalloys, and multilayer thin films.

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