In 2014 Materials Chemistry (MCh), RWTH Aachen University, was granted funding for an atom probe for 3D chemical composition analysis of structural materials as well as a focused ion beam station for sample preparation of atom probe specimens. Over the last 10 years local chemical composition data has been measured with the atom probe and contributed to the understanding required to delineate complex relationships between chemical composition, structure, and materials behavior. Over the last 5 years 12 publications per year contained APT data measured at MCh. The instrument was operated on average for 70% of the year, only interrupted by service intervals. The high duty times were enabled by maintenance contracts for both machines ensuring a very high availability rate throughout usage time. We apply for an upgrade of the existing atom probe with an increased detection efficiency, enabling a high measurement stability and yield at reduced acquisition time. Moreover, the upgrade enables integration of the vacuum and cryo transfer module for transporting specimens between the atom probe and ancillary workstations: thin film deposition equipment and focused ion beam or X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy systems, while maintaining both ultra-high vacuum and cryogenic conditions. Furthermore, due to obsolescence of key components, reduced availability of spare parts and increasing uncertainty over lead times, the manufacturer has informed us that continuous support for the existing atom probe will end and the product line end-of-life will take effect 31 December 2025. Consequently, the continuous generation of atom probe data is foreseen to be interrupted and eventually terminated by instrument failure, essentially depriving our ongoing materials design efforts of critically needed local composition information, which would affect our scientific output detrimentally. To maintain the ability to measure local composition data, critically needed for the design of the next generation of structural materials, an upgrade of the existing atom probe to the next generation is required, for which maintenance contracts are readily available.

DFG Programme Major Research Instrumentation

Major Instrumentation Aufrüstung einer Atomsonde

Instrumentation Group 1720 Spezielle Massenspektrometer (Flugzeit-, Cyclotronresonanz-, Ionensonden, SIMS, außer 306)

Applicant Institution Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen

Leader Professor Jochen M. Schneider, Ph.D.