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Nanoscale imaging of Li and B in nuclear waste glass, a comparison of ToF‐SIMS, NanoSIMS, and APT
Author(s) -
Wang Zhaoying,
Liu Jia,
Zhou Yufan,
Neeway James J.,
Schreiber Daniel K.,
Crum Jarrod V.,
Ryan Joseph V.,
Wang XueLin,
Wang Fuyi,
Zhu Zihua
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
surface and interface analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1096-9918
pISSN - 0142-2421
DOI - 10.1002/sia.6049
Subject(s) - secondary ion mass spectrometry , nanoscopic scale , mass spectrometry imaging , mass spectrometry , image stitching , ion , image resolution , analytical chemistry (journal) , chemistry , atom probe , materials science , nanotechnology , optics , environmental chemistry , physics , chromatography , organic chemistry , transmission electron microscopy
It has been very difficult to use popular elemental imaging techniques to image Li and B distribution in glass samples with nanoscale resolution. In this study, time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry, and atom probe tomography (APT) were used to image the distribution of Li and B in two representative glass samples, and their performance was comprehensively compared. APT can provide three‐dimensional Li and B imaging with very high spatial resolution (≤2 nm). In addition, absolute quantification of Li and B is possible, although there remains room for improving accuracy. However, the major drawbacks of APT include poor sample compatibility and limited field of view (normally ≤100 × 100 × 500 nm 3 ). Comparatively, time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry are sample‐friendly with flexible field of view (up to 500 × 500 µm 2 and image stitching is feasible); however, lateral resolution is limited to only about 100 nm. Therefore, secondary ion mass spectrometry and APT can be regarded as complementary techniques for nanoscale imaging of Li and B in glass and other novel materials. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.