Berlin 2018 – scientific programme

Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Updates | Downloads | Help

MM: Fachverband Metall- und Materialphysik

MM 29: Nanomaterials

MM 29.3: Talk

Wednesday, March 14, 2018, 10:45–11:00, H 0106

Cryo-Atom probe tomography of soft matter and biological materials — •Jonas Ott, Patrick Stender, and Guido Schmitz — Institut für Materialwissenschaft, Lehrstuhl für Materialphysik, Stuttgart, Deutschland

Atom probe tomography (APT) is a well-established technique of chemical analysis with sub-nanometer resolution for metals, semiconductors and ceramics. Initially limited to metals (atom probe analysis available since 1968), the extension by pulsed laser enabled regular APT investigations of non-conductive materials since 2004. Still organic materials, soft matter or even liquids have not become a reasonable part of APT investigations, which is mainly due to the difficult sample preparation and unsuitable mechanical properties of the produced tips. Regarding biological materials such as cells and proteins in nanobiology or porous soft matter for catalysis, the expansion of APT technique to organic materials would offer exciting new opportunities. In our studies, we successfully created a new instrument by combining a dual beam FIB and a miniaturized atom probe chamber which allows the fast direct cryo-transfer and innovative measurement protocols. With this instrument, preparation of the required needle even of frozen liquids becomes possible, avoiding complex lift-out and gluing processes becomes. Measurements of natural honey and supersaturated glucose solution are presented and discussed.