New Diamond Grinding Disks for Specimen Surface Preparation

Author(s):  
RL Benner
Author(s):  
J. J. Kelsch ◽  
A. Holtz

A simple solution to the serious problem of specimen contamination in the electron microscope is presented. This is accomplished by the introduction of clean helium into the vacuum exactly at the specimen position. The local pressure gradient thus established inhibits the migration of hydrocarbon molecules to the specimen surface. The high ionization potential of He permits the use of relatively large volumes of the gas, without interfering with gun stability. The contamination rate is reduced on metal samples by a factor of 10.


Author(s):  
E. Rau ◽  
N. Karelin ◽  
V. Dukov ◽  
M. Kolomeytsev ◽  
S. Gavrikov ◽  
...  

There are different methods and devices for the increase of the videosignal information in SEM. For example, with the help of special pure electronic [1] and opto-electronic [2] systems equipotential areas on the specimen surface in SEM were obtained. This report generalizes quantitative universal method for space distribution representation of research specimen parameter by contour equal signal lines. The method is based on principle of comparison of information signal value with the fixed levels.Transformation image system for obtaining equal signal lines maps was developed in two versions:1)In pure electronic system [3] it is necessary to compare signal U (see Fig.1-a), which gives potential distribution on specimen surface along each scanning line with fixed base level signals εifor obtaining quantitative equipotential information on solid state surface. The amplitude analyzer-comparator gives flare sport videopulses at any fixed coordinate and any instant time when initial signal U is equal to one of the base level signals ε.


Author(s):  
E Y. Wang ◽  
J. T. Cherian ◽  
A. Madsen ◽  
R. M. Fisher

Many steel parts are electro-plated with chromium to protect them against corrosion and to improve their wear-resistance. Good adhesion of the chrome plate to the steel surface, which is essential for long term durability of the part, is extremely dependent on surface preparation prior to plating. Recently, McDonnell Douglas developed a new pre-treatment method for chrome plating in which the steel is anodically etched in a sulfuric acid and hydrofluoric acid solution. On carbon steel surfaces, this anodic pre-treatment produces a dark, loosely adhering material that is commonly called the “smut” layer. On stainless steels and nickel alloys, the surface is only darkened by the anodic pre-treatment and little residue is produced. Anodic pre-treatment prior to hard chrome plating results in much better adherence to both carbon and alloy steels.We have characterized the anodic pre-treated steel surface and the resulting “smut” layer using various techniques including electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) on bulk samples and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) on stripped films.


Author(s):  
Klaus-Ruediger Peters

Only recently it became possible to expand scanning electron microscopy to low vacuum and atmospheric pressure through the introduction of several new technologies. In principle, only the specimen is provided with a controlled gaseous environment while the optical microscope column is kept at high vacuum. In the specimen chamber, the gas can generate new interactions with i) the probe electrons, ii) the specimen surface, and iii) the specimen-specific signal electrons. The results of these interactions yield new information about specimen surfaces not accessible to conventional high vacuum SEM. Several microscope types are available differing from each other by the maximum available gas pressure and the types of signals which can be used for investigation of specimen properties.Electrical non-conductors can be easily imaged despite charge accumulations at and beneath their surface. At high gas pressures between 10-2 and 2 torr, gas molecules are ionized in the electrical field between the specimen surface and the surrounding microscope parts through signal electrons and, to a certain extent, probe electrons. The gas provides a stable ion flux for a surface charge equalization if sufficient gas ions are provided.


Author(s):  
K. F. Russell ◽  
L. L. Horton

Beams of heavy ions from particle accelerators are used to produce radiation damage in metal alloys. The damaged layer extends several microns below the surface of the specimen with the maximum damage and depth dependent upon the energy of the ions, type of ions, and target material. Using 4 MeV heavy ions from a Van de Graaff accelerator causes peak damage approximately 1 μm below the specimen surface. To study this area, it is necessary to remove a thickness of approximately 1 μm of damaged metal from the surface (referred to as “sectioning“) and to electropolish this region to electron transparency from the unirradiated surface (referred to as “backthinning“). We have developed electropolishing techniques to obtain electron transparent regions at any depth below the surface of a standard TEM disk. These techniques may be applied wherever TEM information is needed at a specific subsurface position.


Author(s):  
H. S. Kim ◽  
R. U. Lee

A heating element/electrical conduit assembly used in the Orbiter Maneuvering System failed a leak test during a routine refurbishment inspection. The conduit, approximately 100 mm in length and 12 mm in diameter, was fabricated from two tubes and braze-joined with a sleeve. The tube on the high temperature side (heating element side) and the sleeve were made of Inconel 600 and the other tube was stainless steel (SS) 316. For the filler metal, a Ni-Cr-B brazing alloy per AWS BNi-2, was used. A Helium leak test spotted the leak located at the joint between the sleeve and SS 316 tubing. This joint was dissected, mounted in a plastic mold, polished, and examined with an optical microscope. Debonding of the brazed surfaces was noticed, more pronounced toward the sleeve end which was exposed to uncontrolled atmospheric conditions intermittently. Initially, lack of wetting was suspected, presumably caused by inadequate surface preparation or incomplete fusion of the filler metal. However, this postulation was later discarded based upon the following observations: (1) The angle of wetting between the fillet and tube was small, an indication of adequate wetting, (2) the fillet did not exhibit a globular microstructure which would be an indication of insufficient melting of the filler metal, and (3) debonding was intermittent toward the midsection of the sleeve.


Author(s):  
M. D. Vaudin ◽  
J. P. Cline

The study of preferred crystallographic orientation (texture) in ceramics is assuming greater importance as their anisotropic crystal properties are being used to advantage in an increasing number of applications. The quantification of texture by a reliable and rapid method is required. Analysis of backscattered electron Kikuchi patterns (BEKPs) can be used to provide the crystallographic orientation of as many grains as time and resources allow. The technique is relatively slow, particularly for noncubic materials, but the data are more accurate than any comparable technique when a sufficient number of grains are analyzed. Thus, BEKP is well-suited as a verification method for data obtained in faster ways, such as x-ray or neutron diffraction. We have compared texture data obtained using BEKP, x-ray diffraction and neutron diffraction. Alumina specimens displaying differing levels of axisymmetric (0001) texture normal to the specimen surface were investigated.BEKP patterns were obtained from about a hundred grains selected at random in each specimen.


Author(s):  
A.R. Thölén

Thin electron microscope specimens often contain irregular bend contours (Figs. 1-3). Very regular bend patterns have, however, been observed around holes in some ion-milled specimens. The purpose of this investigation is twofold. Firstly, to find the geometry of bent specimens and the elastic properties of extremely thin foils and secondly, to obtain more information about the background to the observed regular patterns.The specimen surface is described by z = f(x,y,p), where p is a parameter, eg. the radius of curvature of a sphere. The beam is entering along the z—direction, which coincides with the foil normal, FN, of the undisturbed crystal surface (z = 0). We have here used FN = [001]. Furthermore some low indexed reflections are chosen around the pole FN and in our fcc crystal the following g-vectors are selected:


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