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Johansen M, Singh MP, Gault B, Liu F. Suppressing Lithium Migration in a Carbon Fiber Negative Electrode During Atom Probe Tomography Analysis. MICROSCOPY AND MICROANALYSIS : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY SOCIETY OF AMERICA, MICROBEAM ANALYSIS SOCIETY, MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 2024:ozae058. [PMID: 39027925 DOI: 10.1093/mam/ozae058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Carbon fibers can play dual roles, carrying mechanical load and hosting lithium (Li) simultaneously in multifunctional devices called structural batteries. It is essential to gain a detailed understanding on the interaction between Li and carbon fibers on the nanoscale. Atom probe tomography (APT) can potentially reveal individual Li and C atoms. However, lithiated carbon fibers experience massive Li migration once exposed to the electric field in the APT instrument. We show that a few nanometers of a chromium (Cr) coating on APT specimens can shield the electric field and suppress the massive Li migration. The related effects of the Cr coating, such as introduction of oxygen, enhanced mass resolving power of the mass spectrum, and increased portion of single hits, are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Johansen
- Department of Industrial and Materials Science, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mahander P Singh
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, 40237 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Baptiste Gault
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, 40237 Düsseldorf, Germany
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, Kensington, London SW7 2BP, UK
| | - Fang Liu
- Department of Industrial and Materials Science, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
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Woods EV, Saksena A, El-Zoka AA, Stephenson LT, Schwarz TM, Singh MP, Aota LS, Kim SH, Schneider J, Gault B. Nanoporous Gold Thin Films as Substrates to Analyze Liquids by Cryo-atom Probe Tomography. MICROSCOPY AND MICROANALYSIS : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY SOCIETY OF AMERICA, MICROBEAM ANALYSIS SOCIETY, MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 2024:ozae041. [PMID: 38833315 DOI: 10.1093/mam/ozae041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
Cryogenic atom probe tomography (cryo-APT) is being developed to enable nanoscale compositional analyses of frozen liquids. Yet, the availability of readily available substrates that allow for the fixation of liquids while providing sufficient strength to their interface is still an issue. Here, we propose the use of 1-2-µm-thick binary alloy film of gold-silver sputtered onto flat silicon, with sufficient adhesion without an additional layer. Through chemical dealloying, we successfully fabricate a nanoporous substrate, with an open-pore structure, which is mounted on a microarray of Si posts by lift-out in the focused-ion beam system, allowing for cryogenic fixation of liquids. We present cryo-APT results obtained after cryogenic sharpening, vacuum cryo-transfer, and analysis of pure water on the top and inside the nanoporous film. We demonstrate that this new substrate has the requisite characteristics for facilitating cryo-APT of frozen liquids, with a relatively lower volume of precious metals. This complete workflow represents an improved approach for frozen liquid analysis, from preparation of the films to the successful fixation of the liquid in the porous network, to cryo-APT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric V Woods
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, Mikrostrukturphysik und Legierungsdesign, Max-Planck-Str. 1, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Aparna Saksena
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, Mikrostrukturphysik und Legierungsdesign, Max-Planck-Str. 1, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ayman A El-Zoka
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, Mikrostrukturphysik und Legierungsdesign, Max-Planck-Str. 1, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Department of Materials, Royal School of Mines, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BP, UK
| | - Leigh T Stephenson
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, Mikrostrukturphysik und Legierungsdesign, Max-Planck-Str. 1, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Tim M Schwarz
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, Mikrostrukturphysik und Legierungsdesign, Max-Planck-Str. 1, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Mahander P Singh
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, Mikrostrukturphysik und Legierungsdesign, Max-Planck-Str. 1, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Leonardo S Aota
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, Mikrostrukturphysik und Legierungsdesign, Max-Planck-Str. 1, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Se-Ho Kim
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, Mikrostrukturphysik und Legierungsdesign, Max-Planck-Str. 1, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jochen Schneider
- Materials Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Kopernikusstrasse. 10, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Baptiste Gault
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, Mikrostrukturphysik und Legierungsdesign, Max-Planck-Str. 1, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Department of Materials, Royal School of Mines, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BP, UK
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Krämer M, Favelukis B, Sokol M, Rosen BA, Eliaz N, Kim SH, Gault B. Facilitating Atom Probe Tomography of 2D MXene Films by In Situ Sputtering. MICROSCOPY AND MICROANALYSIS : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY SOCIETY OF AMERICA, MICROBEAM ANALYSIS SOCIETY, MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 2024:ozae035. [PMID: 38767284 DOI: 10.1093/mam/ozae035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
2D materials are emerging as promising nanomaterials for applications in energy storage and catalysis. In the wet chemical synthesis of MXenes, these 2D transition metal carbides and nitrides are terminated with a variety of functional groups, and cations such as Li+ are often used to intercalate into the structure to obtain exfoliated nanosheets. Given the various elements involved in their synthesis, it is crucial to determine the detailed chemical composition of the final product, in order to better assess and understand the relationships between composition and properties of these materials. To facilitate atom probe tomography analysis of these materials, a revised specimen preparation method is presented in this study. A colloidal Ti3C2Tz MXene solution was processed into an additive-free free-standing film and specimens were prepared using a dual beam scanning electron microscope/focused ion beam. To mechanically stabilize the fragile specimens, they were coated using an in situ sputtering technique. As various 2D material inks can be processed into such free-standing films, the presented approach is pivotal for enabling atom probe analysis of other 2D materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Krämer
- Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials, Max-Planck-Straße 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
| | - Bar Favelukis
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tel Aviv University, P.O.B 39040, Ramat Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Maxim Sokol
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tel Aviv University, P.O.B 39040, Ramat Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Brian A Rosen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tel Aviv University, P.O.B 39040, Ramat Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Noam Eliaz
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tel Aviv University, P.O.B 39040, Ramat Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Se-Ho Kim
- Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials, Max-Planck-Straße 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Baptiste Gault
- Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials, Max-Planck-Straße 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
- Department of Materials, Royal School of Mines, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
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Schwarz TM, Woods E, Singh MP, Chen X, Jung C, Aota LS, Jang K, Krämer M, Kim SH, McCarroll I, Gault B. In Situ Metallic Coating of Atom Probe Specimen for Enhanced Yield, Performance, and Increased Field-of-View. MICROSCOPY AND MICROANALYSIS : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY SOCIETY OF AMERICA, MICROBEAM ANALYSIS SOCIETY, MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 2024:ozae006. [PMID: 38366381 DOI: 10.1093/mam/ozae006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Atom probe tomography requires needle-shaped specimens with a diameter typically below 100 nm, making them both very fragile and reactive, and defects (notches at grain boundaries or precipitates) are known to affect the yield and data quality. The use of a conformal coating directly on the sharpened specimen has been proposed to increase yield and reduce background. However, to date, these coatings have been applied ex situ and mostly are not uniform. Here, we report on the controlled focused-ion beam in situ deposition of a thin metal film on specimens immediately after specimen preparation. Different metallic targets e.g. Cr were attached to a micromanipulator via a conventional lift-out method and sputtered using Ga or Xe ions. We showcase the many advantages of coating specimens from metallic to nonmetallic materials. We have identified an increase in data quality and yield, an improvement of the mass resolution, as well as an increase in the effective field-of-view. This wider field-of-view enables visualization of the entire original specimen, allowing to detect the complete surface oxide layer around the specimen. The ease of implementation of the approach makes it very attractive for generalizing its use across a very wide range of atom probe analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim M Schwarz
- Department of Microstructure Physics and Alloy Design, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, Max-Planck-Str. 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
| | - Eric Woods
- Department of Microstructure Physics and Alloy Design, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, Max-Planck-Str. 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
| | - Mahander P Singh
- Department of Microstructure Physics and Alloy Design, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, Max-Planck-Str. 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
| | - Xinren Chen
- Department of Microstructure Physics and Alloy Design, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, Max-Planck-Str. 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
| | - Chanwon Jung
- Department of Microstructure Physics and Alloy Design, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, Max-Planck-Str. 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
| | - Leonardo S Aota
- Department of Microstructure Physics and Alloy Design, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, Max-Planck-Str. 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
| | - Kyuseon Jang
- Department of Microstructure Physics and Alloy Design, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, Max-Planck-Str. 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Mathias Krämer
- Department of Microstructure Physics and Alloy Design, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, Max-Planck-Str. 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
| | - Se-Ho Kim
- Department of Microstructure Physics and Alloy Design, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, Max-Planck-Str. 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
| | - Ingrid McCarroll
- Department of Microstructure Physics and Alloy Design, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, Max-Planck-Str. 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
| | - Baptiste Gault
- Department of Microstructure Physics and Alloy Design, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, Max-Planck-Str. 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
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Abstract
Recent advances in cryo-electron microscopy have marked only the beginning of the potential of this technique. To bring structure into cell biology, the modality of cryo-electron tomography has fast developed into a bona fide in situ structural biology technique where structures are determined in their native environment, the cell. Nearly every step of the cryo-focused ion beam-assisted electron tomography (cryo-FIB-ET) workflow has been improved upon in the past decade, since the first windows were carved into cells, unveiling macromolecular networks in near-native conditions. By bridging structural and cell biology, cryo-FIB-ET is advancing our understanding of structure-function relationships in their native environment and becoming a tool for discovering new biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey N Young
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA;
| | - Elizabeth Villa
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA;
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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