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Local Electrode Atom Probe Tomography (LEAP)

Local Electrode Atom Probe Tomography (LEAP)
  • Field evaporates (with a voltage and laser pulse) a sharp tip-shaped specimen. Collects the ionization products in a position-sensitive, time-of-flight mass spectrometer 
  • Can determine the atomic species with sensitivity approaching parts-per-million and atomic positions from within the original analysis volume with sub-nm accuracy
  • Manufacturer/Model: Cameca LEAP 4000x Si

Research Highlights:

 

Laser-assisted atom probe tomography of weld region showing high-carbon interlath material with an isoconcentration surface of nominally 0.8 at. % embedded in martensite steel.  Image shows a tip from two viewpoints that is mostly interlath material.
Laser-assisted atom probe tomography of weld region showing high-carbon interlath material with an isoconcentration surface of nominally 0.8 at. % embedded in martensite steel.
Credit: Paul Blanchard and Ann Chiaramonti Debay

 

Laser-assisted atom probe tomography of InGaN quantum wells in a GaN nanowire grown by molecular beam epitaxy.  Reconstruction with an isoconcentration surface of nominally 0.8 at. % indium is shown.
Laser-assisted atom probe tomography of InGaN quantum wells in a GaN nanowire grown by molecular beam epitaxy.  Reconstruction with an isoconcentration surface of nominally 0.8 at. % indium is shown.
Credit: Norman Sanford

Customers/Contributors/Collaborators

University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), Colorado School of Mines, University of New Mexico, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, NIST: Quantum Processing Group (687.07), Quantitative Nanostructure Characterization Group (686.09), Nanoscale Reliability Group (647.05)

Created June 8, 2016, Updated April 10, 2023