The tomographic atom probe: A quantitative three-dimensional nanoanalytical instrument on an atomic scale

International audienceThe physical architecture and the performance of a quantitative three-dimensional atom probe recently constructed are described. The development of such an instrument relies on the design of a multi-impact position sensitive detector. The multidetection system that we have developed is based on the use of a 10×10 anode array placed behind a two microchannel plate assembly in a chevron arrangement. The spread of charge between the microchannel plate and the multianode is used to derive the position of ion striking the detector. Spatial coordinates can be calculated for multiple and simultaneous time-of-flight events. The procedure used for the derivation of ion positions from charge measurements is given. Specific experiments were carried out in order to determine the intrinsic spatial resolution of the multidetector. Three-dimensional reconstruction of two-phase materials are provided and illustrate the performance of this new apparatus. The reconstructed images demonstrate that atoms are positioned with a precision of a few tenths of a nanometer. The mass resolution M/ΔM (FWHM) of the apparatus is close to 200