Facilities

Atom Probe Microscopes

The LEAP™ 3000X HR is a commercial instrument that incorporates a local electrode so that it can analyse microtips on flat or wedge-shaped specimens as well as conventional needle-shaped samples. A large-angle spherical reflectron is also implemented to enhance the mass resolution. A picosecond pulsed laser can be used to initiate field evaporation, allowing analysis of less conductive materials such as semiconductors.

LEAP™ 3000X HR

• Mass resolution 1000 FWHM, 500 FWTM
• Field-of-view up to 200nm diameter
• Typical volume of analysis 200,000 nm³ in 1 hour
• Allows analysis of silicon "microtips"
• Picosecond laser pulsing
• Digital Field Ion Microscopy

3DAP

The 3DAP™-LAR is also a commercial instrument which contains a linear reflectron design to yield high mass resolution. A reaction cell is incorporated into this instrument which allows specimens to be heated in the presence of different gases or gas mixtures. Less conductive materials and oxide films can be analysed by using picosecond laser pulsing

3DAP™-LAR

• Mass resolution: 1000 FWHM, 500 FWTM, 200 FWHM
• Field-of-view up to 100nm x 100nm
• Typical volume of analysis: 20,000nm³ in 1 hour
• Built-in reaction cell for catalysis studies
• Picosecond laser pulsing
• Field ion microscopy

Focussed Ion Beam (FIB) /Scanning electron microscope (SEM)

The two Focussed Ion Beam machines are used for the preparation of AP/FIM specimens for site specific, thin films and multilayers analysis. To complement the FEI FIB200, the Department of Materials recently acquired a high resolution SEM/FIB Zeiss NVision 40 equipped with a Kleindiek micromanipulator. More details about this microscope are available here .

TEM

There are also single-tilt specimen holders for observing FIM specimens in both the Phillips CM20 and JEOL 3000FX Transmission Electron Microscopes. More information about these facilities can be found at the Electron Microscopy and Microanalysis Group .