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Atom Probe Tomography Analysis of Exsolved Mineral Phases

Atom Probe Tomography Analysis of Exsolved Mineral Phases

Published on: October 25, 2019

Implementation of atomically defined field ion microscopy tips in scanning probe microscopy.

William Paul¹, Yoichi Miyahara, Peter Grütter

¹Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, McGill University, Montreal, Canada. paulw@physics.mcgill.ca

|August 7, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Field ion microscopy (FIM) enables atomic tip characterization for scanning probe microscopy (SPM). Preserving tip integrity during transfer and tunneling is crucial, with Si(111) surfaces best maintaining atomic structure.

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Surface Science
Nanotechnology

Background:

Field ion microscopy (FIM) is vital for characterizing sharp tip atomic configurations.
These tips are essential for scanning probe microscopy (SPM), influencing resolution and spectroscopic capabilities.
Maintaining tip apex atomic structure during transfer and operation is a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop and propose a protocol for preserving FIM tip apex atomic structure during transfer to SPM.
To investigate the time limitations imposed by ultra-high vacuum (UHV) rest gas contamination.
To evaluate the integrity of atomically defined tungsten tips when approaching various surfaces in the tunneling regime.

Main Methods:

Utilizing field ion microscopy (FIM) for atomic-level tip characterization.
Implementing a protocol to prevent tip apex etching from gas impurities during FIM-to-SPM transfer.
Conducting room-temperature tunneling experiments with atomically defined tungsten tips on Au(111), HOPG, and Si(111) surfaces.
Carefully controlling tunneling parameters to avoid setpoint overshoot and preserve tip integrity.

Main Results:

The study estimated time limitations for experiments due to UHV rest gas contamination.
Tunneling experiments were performed with tungsten tips on Au(111), HOPG, and Si(111) surfaces.
Adatom mobility and physisorbed gas on sample surfaces were identified as key factors limiting tip integrity preservation.
The atomic structure of FIM tip apices remained unchanged only after tunneling to the highly reactive Si(111) surface.

Conclusions:

Tip integrity in room-temperature tunneling experiments is limited by surface adatom mobility and physisorbed gases.
The Si(111) surface is the most suitable for preserving FIM tip apex atomic structure during tunneling.
The proposed protocol and experimental findings offer insights into optimizing tip stability for SPM applications.