SEM images of needle-shaped atom-probe specimens with a sub-micron apex.
Materials Science

APT Sample Preparation

Shape and mount the needle-shaped specimens atom probe tomography needs, by in-situ FIB lift-out.

Atom probe tomography reconstructs a material atom by atom, but only from a tiny, needle-shaped specimen with an apex just tens of nanometres across. Getting material onto the APT coupon, cleanly and reproducibly, is the bottleneck.

In-situ lift-out with a precise micromanipulator solves it: extract the region of interest, mount it on a coupon, weld-free with SemGlu to avoid contamination, and hand it to the FIB for final sharpening. Start with the introduction or read how the needles are prepared.

in situlift-out to APT coupon
SemGluweld-free mounting
0.25 nmmanipulator resolution
cryoworkflow option
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