Some applications of field-ionization and field-evaporation techniques in the study of surfaces

Abstract

After a résumé of field electron emission microscopy a brief survey of field-ionization and field-evaporation techniques is presented, with selected illustrations of applications to surface studies. The field-emission microscope is well established as a surface tool, notably in studies of chemisorption. Field-ion microscopy is used to examine the bulk microstructure of materials as well as their surface properties, and has recently been extended to include many of the common non-refractory metals. The atom-probe fieldion microscope provides the ability to chemically-analyse the atoms resolved in a fieldion image. New developments include the discovery of complex and unexpected structures in desorption images formed by field-evaporating ions and the use of desorption imaging to reveal the locations of different atomic species at a surface.