Three-dimensional Element-by-element Surface Topography Reconstruction of Compound Samples Using Multisegment Silicon...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Surface Science
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Understanding elemental surface topography is crucial for material characterization.
• Microscopic analysis of surfaces, interfaces, and substrates informs various applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a general approach for reconstructing three-dimensional (3D) elemental surface topography.
• To utilize microbeam proton-induced X-ray emission (micro-PIXE) with a specific detector for this purpose.

Main Methods:

• Acquiring 2D elemental concentration maps with a multichannel spectrometer.
• Reconstructing local inclination angles based on ion-matter interaction models.
• Calculating topography gradient components and performing numerical integration.

Main Results:

• Successfully tested a general algorithm for gradient component acquisition.
• Reconstructed the 3D surface topography of compound alloys with varying microstructure scales.
• Validated the method using a four-segment detector configuration.

Conclusions:

• The demonstrated micro-PIXE approach enables 3D elemental surface topography reconstruction.
• This method is applicable to microscale surface/interface roughness analysis.
• Potential applications include cultural heritage, fusion materials, and microelectronics.