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Fabrication of Atom Probe Tomography Specimens from Nanoparticles Using a Fusible Bi–In–Sn Alloy as an Embedding Medium

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 February 2019

Se-Ho Kim ,
Ji Yeong Lee ,
Jae-Pyoung Ahn  and
Pyuck-Pa Choi
Se-Ho Kim
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
Ji Yeong Lee
Affiliation:
Advanced Analysis Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 136-791, Republic of Korea
Jae-Pyoung Ahn
Affiliation:
Advanced Analysis Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 136-791, Republic of Korea
Pyuck-Pa Choi*
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
*
*Author for correspondence: Pyuck-Pa Choi, E-mail: p.choi@kaist.ac.kr
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Abstract

We propose a new method for preparing atom probe tomography specimens from nanoparticles using a fusible bismuth–indium–tin alloy as an embedding medium. Iron nanoparticles synthesized by the sodium borohydride reduction method were chosen as a model system. The as-synthesized iron nanoparticles were embedded within the fusible alloy using focused ion beam milling and ion-milled to needle-shaped atom probe specimens under cryogenic conditions. An atom probe analysis revealed boron atoms in a detected iron nanoparticle, indicating that boron from the sodium borohydride reductant was incorporated into the nanoparticle during its synthesis.

Keywords

atom probe tomographyfusible alloynanoparticles
Type
Instrumentation and Experimental Methodology
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 25 , Special Issue 2: Atom Probe Tomography and Microscopy APT&M 2018 , April 2019 , pp. 438 - 446
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America 2019 

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