Equipment

NUCAPT operates equipment for atomic-scale imaging and analysis by atom probe tomography and relevant specimen preparation techniques. Please see our rate schedule here rates. Please contact Dieter Isheim with any questions.

LEAP 5000 XS Atom Probe Tompograph The LEAP 5000 XS at NUCAPT The LEAP5000 XS manufactured by CAMECA Instruments, Inc., is a local electrode atom-probe (LEAP) tomograph, has a single-atom sensitive detector with a (78 +/- 2)% detection efficiency (November 2017 upgrade) in a straight-flight path configuration. Atoms are field-evaporated from the sample surface either by voltage or ultraviolet (355 nm wavelength) laser pulses and detected by a position-sensitive time-of-flight microchannel plate and delay-line detector system. The pulse energy of the UV laser is adjustable from 2.5 fJ – 0.75 nJ (5 x 10^5 dynamic range), allowing optimum evaporation conditions for a wide variety of materials. Field-evaporation can be controlled at pulse repetition frequencies between 10 kHz and 1,000 kHz (voltage pulsing: 500 kHz) and detection speeds of up to 80,000 atoms per second, or about 300 million atoms per hour, enabling high throughput. The system operates at ultra-high vacuum at ~2 x 10^-11 Torr and has a dedicated specimen load lock system and ultra-high vacuum specimen storage chamber with a capacity of up to 32 specimen pucks. The cryostage can achieve temperatures from 25–150 K. The local-electrode design of the LEAP5000 XS facilitates the use of microtip array specimens with up to 22 or 36 individual microtips on each carrier coupon. The control software was upgraded in 2019 with the most recent version of CAMECA’s AP Suite 6 software that is capable to visualize a live 3D reconstruction with the data from the current APT analysis, with atom-by-atom elemental and isotopic identification by time-of-flight mass spectrometry and subnanoscale spatial resolution, in three dimensions. Hourly rates. Contact: Dieter Isheim.

Ion-Beam Sputtering IBSe The IBSe ion-beam sputtering system at NUCAPT The Ion-beam sputter system (IBS/e), manufactured by South Bay Technologies, is utilized for depositing high-quality thin films for: (1) generating multi-layer structures; and (2) to assist with LEAP-tip preparation by FIB milling with a capping layer, where the thin-film deposit marks and protects a sample’s surface when milling with gallium ions. The ion beam sputter system does not use magnetron-based sputter guns and therefore is suitable for the deposition of magnetic materials, such as iron, nickel, and cobalt. Hourly rates. Contact: Dieter Isheim.

AM0.5 Arc Melter The AM0.5 Arc Melter at NUCAPT Arc-melting is a fast and clean way of producing alloys and compounds. The raw materials are placed on a water-cooled hearth in a vacuum chamber. After evacuation, the chamber is re-filled with argon as inert working gas. An electric arc heats the raw materials above their melting point, fusing them into an alloy or compound. The facility operates an an AM0.5 arc melting system, manufactured by Edmund Bühler GmbH, Germany. This laboratory-size arc melting system is designed for synthesizing alloys and compounds through melting with a maximum 500 g charge, high-purity 99.999 % Ar working gas, and a high-vacuum system with a turbomolecular pump for minimizing oxidation and contamination. The AM0.5 can be configured for suction and tilt casting. Hourly rates. Contact: Dieter Isheim.

MAM-1 Arc Melter The MAM-1 arc melter at NUCAPT Arc-melting is a fast and clean way of producing alloys and compounds. The raw materials are placed on a water-cooled hearth in a vacuum chamber. After evacuation, the chamber is re-filled with argon as inert working gas. An electric arc heats the raw materials above their melting point, fusing them into an alloy or compound. The facility operates a MAM-1 arc melter manufactured by Edmund Bühler GmbH, Germany. The arc melter can process about 10-15 grams of material in one melting charge. A specially designed hearth allows for suction casting into a 3 mm diameter mold. Hourly rates. Contact: Dieter Isheim.

Electropolisher for APT tips The APT tip electropolisher at NUCAPT A custom electropolishing system permits rapid and flexible preparation of tips for atom probe tomography. The progress of electropolishing can be observed at magnifications between 1.5x to 150x with a Leica MZ16 stereomicroscope. Hourly rates. Contact: Dieter Isheim.

Tenupol 5 Electropolisher The Tenupol 5 twin-jet electropolisher at NUCAPT A Struers Tenupol 5 twin-jet electropolishing system permits efficient and reproducible electropolishing of thin foils from 3 mm diameter discs for transmission electron microscopy. Hourly rates. Contact: Dieter Isheim.

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Notes on Specimen Preparation

Basic Instructions

These are not a substitute for training or the user manual, but only to serve as general reminders.

Use flanges properly

• Log all instrument usage and ask for help if you need it.
• Reset to hard home by holding down blue zero button

The Simplex Electropointer is a computer-controlled electropolishing station.