Atom Probe Tomography 2012

In the world of tomographic imaging, atom probe tomography (APT) occupies the high-spatial-resolution end of the spectrum. It is highly complementary to electron tomography and is applicable to a wide range of materials. The current state of APT is reviewed. Emphasis is placed on applications and data analysis as they apply to many fields of research and development including metals, semiconductors, ceramics, and organic materials. We also provide a brief review of the history and the instrumentation associated with APT and an assessment of the existing challenges in the field.

[1]  E. Marquis,et al.  Three-Dimensional Spatial Distribution of Cr atoms in Doped Indium Oxide , 2011 .

[2]  Yi Zhang,et al.  Three-dimensional atom probe tomography of oxide, anion, and alkanethiolate coatings on gold. , 2010, Analytical Chemistry.

[3]  B. Gorman,et al.  Hardware and Techniques for Cross- Correlative TEM and Atom Probe Analysis , 2008, Microscopy Today.

[4]  Guido Schmitz,et al.  On the Field Evaporation Behavior of Dielectric Materials in Three-Dimensional Atom Probe: A Numeric Simulation , 2010, Microscopy and Microanalysis.

[5]  W. Vandervorst,et al.  Atom probe analysis of a 3D finFET with high-k metal gate. , 2011, Ultramicroscopy.

[6]  D Lawrence,et al.  In situ site-specific specimen preparation for atom probe tomography. , 2007, Ultramicroscopy.

[7]  H. Ohno,et al.  3DAP analysis of (Ga,Mn)As diluted magnetic semiconductor thin film. , 2009, Ultramicroscopy.

[8]  K. F. Russell,et al.  Strategies for fabricating atom probe specimens with a dual beam FIB. , 2005, Ultramicroscopy.

[9]  M. Keenan,et al.  Atomic-Scale Phase Composition through Multivariate Statistical Analysis of Atom Probe Tomography Data , 2010, Microscopy and Microanalysis.

[10]  B. Gorman,et al.  Minimization of Ga Induced FIB Damage Using Low Energy Clean-up , 2006, Microscopy and Microanalysis.

[11]  J. D. Olson,et al.  Prospects for Atom Probe Tomography of Commercial Semiconductor Devices , 2011, Microscopy and Microanalysis.

[12]  W. Vandervorst,et al.  Atom-probe for FinFET dopant characterization. , 2011, Ultramicroscopy.

[13]  B. Gorman,et al.  Embedded Nanoparticle Analysis using Atom Probe Tomography and High-Resolution Electron Microscopy , 2011, Microscopy and Microanalysis.

[14]  E A Marquis,et al.  Evolution of tip shape during field evaporation of complex multilayer structures , 2011, Journal of microscopy.

[15]  T. Ohkubo,et al.  Atomic scale characterization of GaInN/GaN multiple quantum wells in V-shaped pits , 2011 .

[16]  D. Larson,et al.  On the many advantages of local-electrode atom probes. , 1996, Ultramicroscopy.

[17]  V. Smentkowski,et al.  Atom Probe Tomography Analysis of Grain Boundaries in CdTe , 2012, Microscopy and Microanalysis.

[18]  J. W. Edington,et al.  Electron Microscope Specimen Preparation Techniques in materials Science , 1977 .

[19]  Anurag Tyagi,et al.  Atom probe analysis of interfacial abruptness and clustering within a single InxGa1−xN quantum well device on semipolar (101¯1¯) GaN substrate , 2011 .

[20]  K. Hono,et al.  A method for preparing atom probe specimens for nanoscale compositional analysis of metallic thin films , 1993 .

[21]  T. Ohkubo,et al.  Laser assisted field evaporation of oxides in atom probe analysis. , 2011, Ultramicroscopy.

[22]  B. Gorman,et al.  Atom Probe Analysis of III–V and Si-Based Semiconductor Photovoltaic Structures , 2007, Microscopy and Microanalysis.

[23]  T. Prosa,et al.  Improvements in planar feature reconstructions in atom probe tomography , 2011, Journal of microscopy.

[24]  C. Humphreys,et al.  Mg dopant distribution in an AlGaN/GaN p-type superlattice assessed using atom probe tomography, TEM and SIMS , 2010 .

[25]  D. Larson,et al.  Backside Lift-Out Specimen Preparation: Reversing the Analysis Direction in Atom Probe Tomography , 2009, Microscopy and Microanalysis.

[26]  A. R. Waugh,et al.  APFIM 200 — A reflectron-based atom probe , 1992 .

[27]  D. Larson,et al.  Atom Probe Tomography Analysis of Thick Film SiO2 and Oxide Interfaces: Conditions Leading to Improved Analysis Yield , 2011, Microscopy and Microanalysis.

[28]  Alfred Cerezo,et al.  Application of a position-sensitive detector to atom probe microanalysis , 1988 .

[29]  J. Walls,et al.  The preparation of field electron/field-ion emitters by ion etching , 1974 .

[30]  A. Pundt,et al.  APT analyses of deuterium-loaded Fe/V multi-layered films. , 2009, Ultramicroscopy.

[31]  T. Kelly,et al.  Atomic-Scale Analysis of Metamorphic Magnetite using Field Ion Microscopy and Atom Probe Tomography , 2004, Microscopy and Microanalysis.

[32]  J. Bystrický,et al.  On tests of time reversal invariance in nucleon nucleon scattering , 1984 .

[33]  G. Smith,et al.  Zirconium oxidation on the atomic scale. , 2009, Ultramicroscopy.

[34]  Michael K Miller,et al.  Atom Probe Tomography: Analysis at the Atomic Level , 2012 .

[35]  F. Gourbilleau,et al.  Si nanoparticles in SiO2 An atomic scale observation for optimization of optical devices , 2009 .

[36]  K. F. Russell,et al.  Atom probe specimen preparation with a dual beam SEM/FIB miller. , 2007, Ultramicroscopy.

[37]  Liu Lu,et al.  Characterization of the gate oxide of an AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor , 2011 .

[38]  E. Müller,et al.  Resolution of the Atomic Structure of a Metal Surface by the Field Ion Microscope , 1956 .

[39]  K. Morita,et al.  Laser-assisted atom probe analysis of zirconia/spinel nanocomposite ceramics , 2009 .

[40]  F. Pérez-Willard,et al.  Focused ion beam preparation of atom probe specimens containing a single crystallographically well-defined grain boundary. , 2006, Micron.

[41]  T. Ohkubo,et al.  Quantitative laser atom probe analyses of hydrogenation-disproportionated Nd-Fe-B powders. , 2011, Ultramicroscopy.

[42]  H. Espinosa,et al.  Characterizing Atomic Composition and Dopant Distribution in Wide Band Gap Semiconductor Nanowires Using Laser-Assisted Atom Probe Tomography , 2011 .

[43]  D. Blavette,et al.  Laser-assisted atom probe tomography and nanosciences , 2008 .

[44]  J. D. Olson,et al.  First Data from a Commercial Local Electrode Atom Probe (LEAP) , 2004, Microscopy and Microanalysis.

[45]  G. Smith,et al.  In situ ion milling of field ion specimens using a liquid metal ion source , 1984 .

[46]  D. Larson,et al.  Advances in Atom Probe Specimen Fabrication from Planar Multilayer Thin Film Structures , 2001, Microscopy and Microanalysis.

[47]  Michael K Miller,et al.  Multivariate statistical analysis of atom probe tomography data. , 2010, Ultramicroscopy.

[48]  D. Prober,et al.  Planar antenna-coupled transition-edge hot electron microbolometer , 2003 .

[49]  G. Smith,et al.  Atom Probe Microanalysis: Principles and Applications to Materials Problems , 1989 .

[50]  A. Petford-Long,et al.  Information storage materials: nanoscale characterisation by three-dimensional atom probe analysis , 2004 .

[51]  P. Flaitz,et al.  Atom-Probe Tomography of Semiconductor Materials and Device Structures , 2009 .

[52]  G. Smith,et al.  Three-dimensional atom probe studies of metallic multilayers , 1999 .

[53]  K. F. Russell,et al.  Sharpening of field-ion specimens and positioning of features of interest by ion-beam milling , 2000 .

[54]  Y. Mishin,et al.  Atomistic modeling of the γ and γ'-phases of the Ni-Al system , 2004 .

[55]  J. Panitz The 10 cm Atom Probe , 1973 .

[56]  A. Nishida,et al.  Dopant distributions in n-MOSFET structure observed by atom probe tomography. , 2009, Ultramicroscopy.

[57]  T. Ohkubo,et al.  Broadening the applications of the atom probe technique by ultraviolet femtosecond laser. , 2011, Ultramicroscopy.

[58]  M. Sugiyama,et al.  Development of Atom Probe Specimem Preparation Techniques for Specific Regions in Steel Marterials , 2006, 2006 19th International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference.

[59]  Michael K Miller,et al.  Review of Atom Probe FIB-Based Specimen Preparation Methods , 2007, Microscopy and Microanalysis.

[60]  H. Andren,et al.  A specimen preparation technique for atom probe analysis of the near-surface region of cemented carbides , 1996 .

[61]  F. Braet,et al.  Investigation of Self-assembled Monolayer by Atom Probe Microscopy , 2009, Microscopy and Microanalysis.

[62]  Tohru Mogami,et al.  Origin of characteristic variability in metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors revealed by three-dimensional atom imaging , 2011 .

[63]  A. Nishida,et al.  Monolayer segregation of As atoms at the interface between gate oxide and Si substrate in a metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor by three-dimensional atom-probe technique , 2008 .

[64]  E. Beaurepaire,et al.  Investigation at the atomic scale of the Co spatial distribution in Zn(Co)O magnetic semiconductor oxide , 2009 .

[65]  A. Bostel,et al.  A general protocol for the reconstruction of 3D atom probe data , 1995 .

[66]  T. Ohkubo,et al.  Laser-assisted Atom Probe Analysis of Bulk Insulating Ceramics , 2009 .

[67]  V. Ozoliņš,et al.  Trans-interface diffusion-controlled coarsening , 2005, Nature materials.

[68]  G. Smith,et al.  Overview: Recent Progress in Three-Dimensional Atom Probe Instruments and Applications , 2007, Microscopy and Microanalysis.

[69]  D. Larson,et al.  Effect of analysis direction on the measurement of interfacial mixing in thin metal layers with atom probe tomography. , 2011, Ultramicroscopy.

[70]  D. Larson,et al.  Probing the improbable: imaging C atoms in alumina , 2010 .

[71]  C. Humphreys,et al.  Compositional inhomogeneity of a high-efficiency InxGa1-xN based multiple quantum well ultraviolet emitter studied by three dimensional atom probe , 2008 .

[72]  K. B. Alexander,et al.  PRECISION ION MILLING OF FIELD-ION SPECIMENS , 1989 .

[73]  S. Subramaniam,et al.  Chemical mapping of mammalian cells by atom probe tomography. , 2012, Journal of structural biology.

[74]  K. Stiller,et al.  Analysis of Bulk Dielectrics with Atom Probe Tomography , 2008, Microscopy and Microanalysis.

[75]  T. Kelly,et al.  Laser Atom Probe Tomography: Application to Polymers , 2006, 2006 19th International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference.

[76]  J. D. Olson,et al.  Advances in Pulsed-Laser Atom Probe: Instrument and Specimen Design for Optimum Performance , 2007, Microscopy and Microanalysis.

[77]  Debbie J. Stokes,et al.  Three-dimensional atom probe studies of an InxGa1−xN∕GaN multiple quantum well structure: Assessment of possible indium clustering , 2007 .

[78]  G. Smith,et al.  Analogue investigations of electric field distribution and ion trajectories in the field ion microscope , 1974 .

[79]  Tzung-Fang Guo,et al.  Nano-scale mechanical properties of polymer/fullerene bulk hetero-junction films and their influence on photovoltaic cells , 2011 .

[80]  B. A. Mamyrin,et al.  The mass-reflectron, a new nonmagnetic time-of-flight mass spectrometer with high resolution , 1973 .

[81]  T. Prosa,et al.  Organic Materials and Organic/Inorganic Heterostructures in Atom Probe Tomography , 2012, Microscopy Today.

[82]  H. Andren,et al.  Atom‐probe field‐ion microscopy , 2007 .

[83]  F. Gourbilleau,et al.  Atomic scale investigation of silicon nanowires and nanoclusters , 2011, Nanoscale research letters.

[84]  T. Prosa,et al.  From the Store Shelf to Device-Level Atom Probe Analysis: An Exercise in Feasibility , 2011 .

[85]  Alfred Cerezo,et al.  Atomic scale characterization of buried InxGa1-xAs quantum dots using pulsed laser atom probe tomography , 2008 .

[86]  E. Müller,et al.  The atom-probe field ion microscope , 1970, Naturwissenschaften.

[87]  J. D. Olson,et al.  Toward atom probe tomography of microelectronic devices , 2011 .

[88]  Alfred Cerezo,et al.  Three-dimensional atom probe analysis of green- and blue-emitting InxGa1−xN∕GaN multiple quantum well structures , 2008 .

[89]  D. Larson,et al.  Pre-sharpened and Flat-top Microtip Coupons: a Quantitative Comparison for Atom-Probe Analysis Studies , 2005, Microscopy and Microanalysis.

[90]  M. Blamire,et al.  Field-ion specimen preparation using focused ion-beam milling , 1999 .

[91]  C. Humphreys,et al.  Atom probe reveals the structure of Inx Ga1–x N based quantum wells in three dimensions , 2008 .

[92]  O. Nishikawa,et al.  Toward a scanning atom probe — computer simulation of electric field - , 1994 .

[93]  J. Takahashi,et al.  The first direct observation of hydrogen trapping sites in TiC precipitation-hardening steel through atom probe tomography , 2010 .

[94]  A. Shluger,et al.  Mechanism of laser assisted field evaporation from insulating oxides. , 2011, Ultramicroscopy.

[95]  David J. Larson,et al.  Local Electrode Atom Probes , 1998, Microscopy and Microanalysis.

[96]  B. P. Geiser,et al.  ATOM PROBE TOMOGRAPHY FOR MICROELECTRONICS , 2011 .

[97]  A. Dinia,et al.  Evidence of superparamagnetic co clusters in pulsed laser deposition-grown Zn0.9Co0.1O thin films using atom probe tomography. , 2011, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[98]  T. Prosa,et al.  Atom probe tomography analysis of poly(3‐alkylthiophene)s , 2010, Journal of microscopy.

[99]  A. Nishida,et al.  Dopant distribution in gate electrode of n- and p-type metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor by laser-assisted atom probe , 2009 .

[100]  B Gault,et al.  Advances in the reconstruction of atom probe tomography data. , 2011, Ultramicroscopy.

[101]  B. Mazumder,et al.  Evaporation mechanisms of MgO in laser assisted atom probe tomography. , 2011, Ultramicroscopy.

[102]  E. Marquis,et al.  A systematic approach for the study of radiation-induced segregation/depletion at grain boundaries in steels , 2011 .

[103]  D. Lawrence,et al.  Specimen Preparation for Cross-Section Atom Probe Analysis , 2008, Microscopy and Microanalysis.

[104]  A. Melmed The art and science and other aspects of making sharp tips , 1991 .

[105]  T. C. Anthony,et al.  Three-dimensional atom probe field-ion microscopy observation of Cu/Co multilayer film structures , 1998 .

[106]  A. Pundt,et al.  Analysis of deuterium in V–Fe5at.% film by atom probe tomography (APT) , 2011 .

[107]  T. C. Anthony,et al.  Focused ion-beam milling for field-ion specimen preparation:: preliminary investigations , 1998 .

[108]  B. P. Geiser,et al.  Wide-Field-of-View Atom Probe Reconstruction , 2009, Microscopy and Microanalysis.

[109]  F. Gourbilleau,et al.  Atomic characterization of Si nanoclusters embedded in SiO2 by atom probe tomography , 2011, Nanoscale research letters.

[110]  J. Takahashi,et al.  Atom probe analysis of titanium hydride precipitates. , 2009, Ultramicroscopy.

[111]  G. Kellogg Field ion microscopy and pulsed laser atom‐probe mass spectroscopy of insulating glasses , 1982 .

[112]  P. Smith,et al.  Preliminary calculations of the electric field and the stress on a field-ion specimen , 1970 .

[113]  K. Rajan,et al.  Visions of Atomic-Scale Tomography , 2012, Microscopy Today.

[114]  T. Kelly,et al.  The Atom Tomography (ATOM) Concept , 2010 .

[115]  D. Larson,et al.  The second revolution in atom probe tomography , 2012 .

[116]  L. Bourgeois,et al.  Atom probe tomography and transmission electron microscopy characterisation of precipitation in an Al-Cu-Li-Mg-Ag alloy. , 2011, Ultramicroscopy.

[117]  R. Würz,et al.  Design of a laser-assisted tomographic atom probe at Münster University. , 2010, The Review of scientific instruments.

[118]  S. Ogale,et al.  Investigation of wüstite (Fe1-xO) by femtosecond laser assisted atom probe tomography. , 2011, Ultramicroscopy.

[119]  Alfred Cerezo,et al.  Performance of an energy-compensated three-dimensional atom probe , 1998 .

[120]  Richard G. Forbes,et al.  Atom probe tomography , 2000 .

[121]  J. Panitz,et al.  Prospects for Nanobiology with Atom-Probe Tomography , 2009 .

[122]  S. Ringer,et al.  Shaping the lens of the atom probe: fabrication of site specific, oriented specimens and application to grain boundary analysis. , 2011, Ultramicroscopy.

[123]  D. Abou‐Ras,et al.  Atom Probe Tomography of Compound Semiconductors for Photovoltaic and Light-Emitting Device Applications , 2012, Microscopy Today.

[124]  B. Gorman,et al.  TEM and Atom Probe Investigation of Calcium Carbonate Precipitation in Seawater , 2011, Microscopy and Microanalysis.

[125]  S. Ringer,et al.  Atom Probe Specimen Fabrication Methods using a Dual FIB/SEM , 2006, 2006 19th International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference.

[126]  A. Henjered,et al.  A controlled specimen preparation technique for interface studies with atom-probe field-ion microscopy , 1983 .

[127]  T. Ohkubo,et al.  Quantitative atom probe analyses of rare-earth-doped ceria by femtosecond pulsed laser. , 2011, Ultramicroscopy.

[128]  Lucille A. Giannuzzi,et al.  Focused Ion Beam Milling and Micromanipulation Lift-Out for Site Specific Cross-Section Tem Specimen Preparation , 1997 .

[129]  Derk Joester,et al.  Nanoscale chemical tomography of buried organic–inorganic interfaces in the chiton tooth , 2011, Nature.

[130]  Colin J. Humphreys,et al.  Atom probe tomography assessment of the impact of electron beam exposure on InxGa1−xN/GaN quantum wells , 2011 .

[131]  B. Gault,et al.  Design of a femtosecond laser assisted tomographic atom probe , 2006 .

[132]  D. Blavette,et al.  Direction et distance d'analyse à la sonde atomique , 1982 .

[133]  Laser-assisted three-dimensional atom probe analysis of dopant distribution in Gd-doped CeO2 , 2010 .

[134]  J. D. Olson,et al.  Optimized Laser Thermal Pulsing of Atom Probe Tomography: LEAP 4000X™ , 2010 .

[135]  D. Mangelinck,et al.  Three dimensional distributions of arsenic and platinum within NiSi contact and gate of an n-type transistor , 2011 .

[136]  Jean-Pierre Colinge,et al.  FinFETs and Other Multi-Gate Transistors , 2007 .

[137]  S. Corcoran,et al.  3-D analysis of semiconductor dopant distributions in a patterned structure using LEAP. , 2008, Ultramicroscopy.

[138]  M. Hellsing High resolution microanalysis of binder phase in as sintered WC–Co cemented carbides , 1988 .

[139]  S. Ringer,et al.  Site-specific specimen preparation for atom probe tomography of grain boundaries , 2007 .

[140]  D. Larson,et al.  Focused ion-beam specimen preparation for atom probe field-ion microscopy characterization of multilayer film structures , 1999 .

[141]  Michael K Miller,et al.  Invited review article: Atom probe tomography. , 2007, The Review of scientific instruments.

[142]  A. Davis,et al.  Atom-Probe Tomographic Characterization of Meteoritic Nanodiamonds and Presolar SiC , 2011 .

[143]  L. Lauhon,et al.  Three-Dimensional Atom-Probe Tomographic Studies of Nickel Monosilicide/Silicon Interfaces on a Subnanometer Scale , 2009, ECS Transactions.

[144]  B. Gorman,et al.  Effect of Laser Power on Atom Probe Tomography of Silicates , 2011 .

[145]  Wilfried Vandervorst,et al.  Probing doping conformality in fin shaped field effect transistor structures using resistors , 2008 .

[146]  H. Fraser,et al.  Atomic scale structure and chemical composition across order-disorder interfaces. , 2009, Physical review letters.