Analytical Three-Dimensional Field Ion Microscopy of an Amorphous Glass FeBSi.

Three-dimensional field ion microscopy is a powerful technique to analyze material at a truly atomic scale. Most previous studies have been made on pure, crystalline materials such as tungsten or iron. In this article, we study more complex materials, and we present the first images of an amorphous sample, showing the capability to visualize the compositional fluctuations compatible with theoretical medium order in a metallic glass (FeBSi), which is extremely challenging to observe directly using other microscopy techniques.

Development of Wide Field of View Three-Dimensional Field Ion Microscopy and High-Fidelity Reconstruction Algorithms to the Study of Defects in Nuclear Materials.

This article presents a fast and highly efficient algorithm developed to reconstruct a three-dimensional (3D) volume with a high spatial precision from a set of field ion microscopy (FIM) images, and specific tools developed to characterize crystallographic lattice and defects. A set of FIM digital images and image processing algorithms allow the construction of a 3D reconstruction of the sample at the atomic scale. The capability of the 3D FIM to resolve the crystallographic lattice and the finest defects in metals opens a new way to analyze materials.

Nanoscale evidence of erbium clustering in Er-doped silicon-rich silica.

: Photoluminescence spectroscopy and atom probe tomography were used to explore the optical activity and microstructure of Er3+-doped Si-rich SiO2 thin films fabricated by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. The effect of post-fabrication annealing treatment on the properties of the films was investigated. The evolution of the nanoscale structure upon an annealing treatment was found to control the interrelation between the radiative recombination of the carriers via Si clusters and via 4f shell transitions in Er3+ ions.

Atomic scale investigation of silicon nanowires and nanoclusters.

In this study, we have performed nanoscale characterization of Si-clusters and Si-nanowires with a laser-assisted tomographic atom probe. Intrinsic and p-type silicon nanowires (SiNWs) are elaborated by chemical vapor deposition method using gold as catalyst, silane as silicon precursor, and diborane as dopant reactant. The concentration and distribution of impurity (gold) and dopant (boron) in SiNW are investigated and discussed.

Evidence of superparamagnetic co clusters in pulsed laser deposition-grown Zn0.9Co0.1O thin films using atom probe tomography.

Nanosized Co clusters (of about 3 nm size) were unambiguously identified in Co-doped ZnO thin films by atom probe tomography. These clusters are directly correlated to the superparamagnetic relaxation observed by ZFC/FC magnetization measurements. These analyses provide strong evidence that the room-temperature ferromagnetism observed in the magnetization curves cannot be attributed to the observed Co clusters.