Nanoscale imaging of Li and B in nuclear waste glass, a comparison of ToF-SIMS, NanoSIMS, and APT

Abstract

It has been very difficult to use popular elemental imaging techniques to image Li and B distribution in glass samples with nanoscale resolution. In this study, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry, and atom probe tomography (APT) were used to image the distribution of Li and B in two representative glass samples, and their performance was comprehensively compared. APT can provide three-dimensional Li and B imaging with very high spatial resolution (≤2 nm). In addition, absolute quantification of Li and B is possible, although there remains room for improving accuracy. However, the major drawbacks of APT include poor sample compatibility and limited field of view (normally ≤100 × 100 × 500 nm3). Comparatively, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry are sample-friendly with flexible field of view (up to 500 × 500 µm2 and image stitching is feasible); however, lateral resolution is limited to only about 100 nm. Therefore, secondary ion mass spectrometry and APT can be regarded as complementary techniques for nanoscale imaging of Li and B in glass and other novel materials. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.