Advances in atom probe tomography instrumentation: Implications for materials research

A series of recent instrumental advances have facilitated the application of atom probe tomography (APT) to the characterization of an increasingly wide range of materials and devices. Whereas APT was previously mostly limited to the analysis of alloys, advances in areas such as laser pulsing and detectors have enabled characterization of semiconductors and brittle materials. Most recently, ultraviolet laser pulsing has facilitated the analysis of materials previously considered not viable for the atom probe, such as minerals and large bandgap insulator materials. The development of in situ gas reaction cells fully integrated in atom probe instruments has enabled the characterization of surface reactions of materials exposed to highly controlled environments. Finally, current work toward an integrated cryo-transfer system is anticipated to create new directions for APT research.