Seminar: Application of FIB-SEM based Time of Flight Secondary Ion Spectrometry. Monday 12 November at 10:15 am to 11 am.

9 November 2018

Abstract

Focused ion beam - scanning electron microscopes (FIB-SEM) are routinely used for site specific sample preparation for nanoscale analyses by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) or atom probe tomography (APT). FIB-SEM has a number of other applications including 3D slice and view/analyse, nanofabrication and ion imaging. An emerging application for FIB-SEM is in-situ secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) where the ions generated by the FIB are extracted and analysed. The ions can be identified by their time of flight (ToF) as they are pulsed through a reflectron.

ToF-SIMS with a high spatial resolution primary ion source (such as a Ga liquid metal ion source) has a number of advantages for microanalysis. Spatial resolution of <50 nm can be achieved for elemental maps and the detection limits for alkalis and rare earth elements are much lower than for energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Other advantages include light element analysis (e.g Li), isotopic analysis, and depth profiling (<10 nm resolution). When low ion beam currents are used (e.g. 75 pA), only a few tens of nanometers of material are removed from the sample surface, allowing the analysed region to be prepared for subsequent site-specific sample preparation.

In this seminar, I will present applications of FIB-SEM based ToF-SIMS and demonstrate how it can be used in correlative studies involving TEM and APT.

Presenter

Dr William Rickard, Associate Deputy Director, John de Laeter Centre, Curtin University

Dr Rickard is a senior research fellow in the John de Laeter Centre at Curtin University. He is the facility leader for FIB-SEM in the centre and has a decade of experience with the technique and associated applications. He has experience in many FIB-SEM techniques though has a particular focus on FIB-ToF-SIMS and atom probe specimen preparation. His research interests include the nanoscale characterisation of geological materials using advanced analytical techniques.

Date: Monday 12th November

Venue: AIBN # 75, Level 1 Seminar Room

Time: 10:15 am to 11 am

You are all welcome and we look forward to seeing you there.

 

Latest