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Preferential Evaporation in Atom Probe Tomography: An Analytical Approach

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 July 2020

Constantinos Hatzoglou*
Affiliation:
Normandie Université, UNIROUEN, INSA Rouen, CNRS, Groupe de Physique des Matériaux, 76000Rouen, France Department of Materials Science and Engineering, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim7491, Norway
Solène Rouland
Affiliation:
Normandie Université, UNIROUEN, INSA Rouen, CNRS, Groupe de Physique des Matériaux, 76000Rouen, France
Bertrand Radiguet
Affiliation:
Normandie Université, UNIROUEN, INSA Rouen, CNRS, Groupe de Physique des Matériaux, 76000Rouen, France
Auriane Etienne
Affiliation:
Normandie Université, UNIROUEN, INSA Rouen, CNRS, Groupe de Physique des Matériaux, 76000Rouen, France
Gérald Da Costa
Affiliation:
Normandie Université, UNIROUEN, INSA Rouen, CNRS, Groupe de Physique des Matériaux, 76000Rouen, France
Xavier Sauvage
Affiliation:
Normandie Université, UNIROUEN, INSA Rouen, CNRS, Groupe de Physique des Matériaux, 76000Rouen, France
Philippe Pareige
Affiliation:
Normandie Université, UNIROUEN, INSA Rouen, CNRS, Groupe de Physique des Matériaux, 76000Rouen, France
François Vurpillot
Affiliation:
Normandie Université, UNIROUEN, INSA Rouen, CNRS, Groupe de Physique des Matériaux, 76000Rouen, France
*
*Author for correspondence: Constantinos Hatzoglou, E-mail: constantinos.hatzoglou@ntnu.no
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Abstract

Atom probe tomography (APT) analysis conditions play a major role in the composition measurement accuracy. Preferential evaporation (PE), which significantly biases the apparent composition, more than other well-known phenomena in APT, is strongly connected to those analysis conditions. One way to optimize them, in order to have the most accurate measurement, is therefore to be able to predict and then to estimate their influence on the apparent composition. An analytical model is proposed to quantify the PE. This model is applied to three different alloys such as NiCu, FeCrNi, and FeCu. The model explains not only the analysis temperature dependence, as in an already existing model, but also the dependence to the pulse fraction and the pulse frequency. Moreover, the model can also provide an energetic constant directly linked to the energy barrier required to field evaporate atom from the sample surface.

Type
Software and Instrumentation
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America 2020

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