TY - JOUR
T1 - Efficient preparation of microtip arrays for atom probe tomography using fs-laser processing
AU - Tkadletz, Michael
AU - Waldl, Helene
AU - Schiester, Maximilian
AU - Lechner, Alexandra
AU - Schusser, Georg
AU - Krause, Michael
AU - Schalk, Nina
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022
PY - 2023/4
Y1 - 2023/4
N2 - Microtip arrays, also called microtip coupons, are routinely used in atom probe tomography (APT) as specimen carriers. They are commercially available consumables, usually made of Si with high electrical conductivity, produced via dedicated shaping techniques. Their purpose is to act as a specimen mount after focused ion beam (FIB) based lift-out procedures. Within this work, an alternative approach to prefabricated microtip coupons is presented, by directly creating a microtip array on the sample to be investigated utilizing fs-laser processing. An exemplary array of microtip posts was fs-laser processed from a TiN coating on Si substrate and subjected to final preparation via annular FIB milling. Subsequently, APT specimen of the TiN coating as well as of the Si substrate were successfully measured in laser assisted mode, using a commercial local electrode APT system. To further emphasize the versatility of the proposed approach, additional voltage measurements of highly conductive B doped Si arrays as well as exemplarily fs-laser processed microtip arrays of various other materials are provided as supplementary material to this article. The presented methodology bypasses the lift-out and avoids the necessity of a Pt weld between specimens and coupon posts which is frequently considered to represent a weak spot. It reduces consumables consumption and provides a high number of specimens in short time, while it is applicable for a wide range of materials and has thus the potential to revolutionize APT specimen preparation.
AB - Microtip arrays, also called microtip coupons, are routinely used in atom probe tomography (APT) as specimen carriers. They are commercially available consumables, usually made of Si with high electrical conductivity, produced via dedicated shaping techniques. Their purpose is to act as a specimen mount after focused ion beam (FIB) based lift-out procedures. Within this work, an alternative approach to prefabricated microtip coupons is presented, by directly creating a microtip array on the sample to be investigated utilizing fs-laser processing. An exemplary array of microtip posts was fs-laser processed from a TiN coating on Si substrate and subjected to final preparation via annular FIB milling. Subsequently, APT specimen of the TiN coating as well as of the Si substrate were successfully measured in laser assisted mode, using a commercial local electrode APT system. To further emphasize the versatility of the proposed approach, additional voltage measurements of highly conductive B doped Si arrays as well as exemplarily fs-laser processed microtip arrays of various other materials are provided as supplementary material to this article. The presented methodology bypasses the lift-out and avoids the necessity of a Pt weld between specimens and coupon posts which is frequently considered to represent a weak spot. It reduces consumables consumption and provides a high number of specimens in short time, while it is applicable for a wide range of materials and has thus the potential to revolutionize APT specimen preparation.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85145264788&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ultramic.2022.113672
DO - 10.1016/j.ultramic.2022.113672
M3 - Article
SN - 0304-3991
VL - 246.2023
JO - Ultramicroscopy
JF - Ultramicroscopy
IS - April
M1 - 113672
ER -