Cameca

Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique

Cnrs

François Vurpillot

Alain Bostel

Bernard Deconihout

Angela Vella

A tomographic atom probe uses electrical pulses applied to an electrode in order to carry out evaporation of the sample being analyzed. In order to produce these electrical pulses, the tomographic atom probe comprises a high-voltage generator connected to an electrode by an electrical connection comprising a chip of semiconductor material. The probe also comprises a light source which can be controlled in order to generate light pulses which are applied to the semiconductor chip. Throughout the illumination, the chip is rendered conductive, which puts the high-voltage generator and the electrode in electrical contact so that a potential step is applied to the latter. The probe also comprises means for applying a voltage step of opposite amplitude to the previous step at the end of a time interval &#x394;t, so that the electrode finally receives a voltage pulse of duration &#x394;t.

Tomographic atom probe comprising an electro-optical generator of high-voltage electrical pulses

A wide spectral band laser pulse generating device capable of covering a spectrum formed of given wavelengths is provided, including: a monochromatic laser light source whose intensity is adjustable; non-linear optical means, a photonic crystal or a microstructured optical fiber for example, for carrying out spectral widening of the wave emitted by the light source; the light source and the non-linear optical means are configured and arranged so as to create a white supercontinuum whose continuous spectrum contains the wavelengths considered. The invention relates to the general field of the analysis of the composition of material specimens, and in particular to laser tomographic atom probes.

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Rouen, France

François Vurpillot