X-ray nano computerised tomography of SOFC electrodes using a focused ion beam sample-preparation technique

Abstract High-resolution tomography techniques have facilitated an improved understanding of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) electrode microstructures. The use of X-ray nano computerised tomography (nano-CT) imposes some geometrical constraints on the sample under investigation; in this paper, we present the development of an advanced preparation technique to optimise sample geometries for X-ray nano-CT, utilizing a focused ion beam (FIB) system to shape the sample according to the X-ray field of view at the required magnification. The technique has been successfully applied to a Ni-YSZ electrode material: X-ray nano-CT has been conducted at varying length scales and is shown to provide good agreement; comparison of results from X-ray and more conventional FIB tomography is also demonstrated to be favourable. Tomographic reconstructions of SOFC electrodes with volumes spanning two orders of magnitude are presented.

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