Development of an Energy-Sensitive Detector for the Atom Probe Tomography

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Physics

Background:

• Atom probe tomography (APT) faces challenges with mass peak overlaps, complicating analysis of critical materials.
• Overlapping mass peaks, such as N/Si in TiSiN or Ti/C in cemented carbides, hinder accurate material characterization.
• Existing APT detectors struggle to differentiate between ions with similar mass-to-charge ratios.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a new energy-sensitive detector for APT instruments.
• To address and resolve mass peak overlap issues in APT experiments.
• To introduce a novel method for discriminating particle energies based on secondary electron generation.

Main Methods:

• Integration of a thin carbon foil onto a conventional Microchannel Plate-Delay Line Detector (MCP-DLD).
• Exploitation of secondary electron emission generated by ion impact on the carbon foil.
• Analysis of the relationship between secondary electron yield, ion kinetic energy, and ion mass.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated that secondary electron yield from carbon foils is dependent on ion kinetic energy and mass.
• Established the principle of using energy-dependent secondary electron generation for particle discrimination.
• Paved the way for enhanced resolution in APT analysis of complex materials.

Conclusions:

• The developed detector offers a potential solution for resolving mass peak overlaps in APT.
• This energy-sensitive approach represents a significant advancement for critical materials analysis.
• The study introduces a new generation of APT detectors with improved analytical capabilities.