Reflections on the spatial performance of atom probe tomography in the analysis of atomic neighborhoods
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Atom probe tomography (APT) is often introduced as providing “atomic-scale” mapping of the composition of materials and as such is often exploited to analyze atomic neighborhoods within a material. Yet quantifying the actual spatial performance of the technique in a general case remains challenging, as it depends on the material system being investigated as well as on the specimen's geometry. Here, by using comparisons with field-ion microscopy experiments, field-ion imaging and field evaporation simulations, we provide the basis for a critical reflection on the spatial performance of APT in the analysis of pure metals, low alloyed systems and concentrated solid solutions (i.e., akin to high-entropy alloys). The spatial resolution imposes strong limitations on the possible interpretation of measured atomic neighborhoods, and directional neighborhood analyses restricted to the depth are expected to be more robust. We hope this work gets the community to reflect on its practices, in the same way, it got us to reflect on our work.
Date Issued
2022-08-01
Date Acceptance
2021-10-01
Citation
Microscopy and Microanalysis, 2022, 28 (4), pp.1116-1126
ISSN
1083-0375
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Start Page
1116
End Page
1126
Journal / Book Title
Microscopy and Microanalysis
Volume
28
Issue
4
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Microscopy Society of America. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the
original work is properly cited.
Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the
original work is properly cited.
License URL
Identifier
https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000775738500001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=a2bf6146997ec60c407a63945d4e92bb
Subjects
compositionally complex alloys
DESORPTION
DISSOCIATION
EVAPORATION
field evaporation
FIELD-ION MICROSCOPY
image simulations
INFORMATION
IONIZATION
Materials Science
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Microscopy
nearest neighbors
PROJECTION
RECONSTRUCTION
RESOLUTION
Science & Technology
SURFACE
Technology
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2021-10-20