The influence of surface coordination on field evaporation processes in tungsten

Abstract

Abstract The sequence of evaporation of atoms on (111), (332), (433), and (411) surfaces of tungsten has been observed in the field ion microscope for the evaporation of successive layers. Atoms with many different types of surface coordination were observed to evaporate. The data were processed to give the relative probabilities of evaporation (ρ) for each type of atom using a statistical procedure adapted to give probability limits for the ρ values. The results showed that for (111) surfaces the ρ values were the same with helium or neon as image gas and that in general differences in ρ values between differently coordinated atoms at 78 K were observed to be greater than at 20 K. At both these temperatures however the atoms with high surface coordination generally had lower ρ values. With (111), (332) and (433) surfaces the atomic arrangement allowed prediction of surface diffusion paths and with atoms in (111) surfaces an easy diffusion path was essential before evaporation could occur. Amongst atoms which had a diffusion path available, ρ values were relatively lower when the path had a saddle point protruding from the surface and which allowed the atom to be subjected to a higher field. On (411) surfaces diffusion paths are less predictable and the correlation with ρ was less.