1-4 Atomic Surface Structure of the Common Transition Metals and the Effect of Adhesion as Seen by Field Ion Microscopy

When sharp metal filaments of W, Fe, Nb or Ta are observed in the field-ion microscope (FIM), their appearance is differentiated primarily by variations in regional brightness. This regional brightness, particularly prominent at liquid nitrogen temperature has been attributed in the main to chemical specificity which manifests itself in a paricular array of surface-atom electron-orbital configurations.Recently, anomalous image brightness and streaks in both fcc and bee materials observed in the FIM have been shown to be the result of surface asperities and related topographic features which arise by the unsystematic etching of the emission-tip end forms.

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Field ion microscopy

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100104236 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 46 ◽

pp. 434-435

Author(s):

Gert Ehrlich

Keyword(s):

Low Temperature ◽

Sample Surface ◽

Low Pressure ◽

Radius Of Curvature ◽

Field Ion Microscopy ◽

Phosphor Screen ◽

Ion Microscopy ◽

Field Ion Microscope

The field ion microscope, devised by Erwin Muller in the 1950's, was the first instrument to depict the structure of surfaces in atomic detail. An FIM image of a (111) plane of tungsten (Fig.l) is typical of what can be done by this microscope: for this small plane, every atom, at a separation of 4.48Å from its neighbors in the plane, is revealed. The image of the plane is highly enlarged, as it is projected on a phosphor screen with a radius of curvature more than a million times that of the sample. Müller achieved the resolution necessary to reveal individual atoms by imaging with ions, accommodated to the object at a low temperature. The ions are created at the sample surface by ionization of an inert image gas (usually helium), present at a low pressure (< 1 mTorr). at fields on the order of 4V/Å.

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On the Shape of Field-Ion Emitters

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100092566 ◽

1976 ◽

Vol 34 ◽

pp. 520-521

Author(s):

H.C. Eaton ◽

B.N. Ranganathan ◽

T.W. Burwinkle ◽

R. J. Bayuzick ◽

J.J. Hren

Keyword(s):

Grain Boundary ◽

Spherical Shape ◽

Theoretical Strength ◽

Evaporation Process ◽

Field Evaporation ◽

Geometric Information ◽

Field Ion Microscopy ◽

Considerable Error ◽

True Shape ◽

Ion Microscopy

The shape of the emitter is of cardinal importance to field-ion microscopy. First, the field evaporation process itself is closely related to the initial tip shape. Secondly, the imaging stress, which is near the theoretical strength of the material and intrinsic to the imaging process, cannot be characterized without knowledge of the emitter shape. Finally, the problem of obtaining quantitative geometric information from the micrograph cannot be solved without knowing the shape. Previously published grain-boundary topographies were obtained employing an assumption of a spherical shape (1). The present investigation shows that the true shape deviates as much as 100 Å from sphericity and boundary reconstructions contain considerable error as a result.Our present procedures for obtaining tip shape may be summarized as follows. An empirical projection, D=f(θ), is obtained by digitizing the positions of poles on a field-ion micrograph.

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