Pragmatic reconstruction methods in atom probe tomography

Data collected in atom probe tomography have to be carefully analysed in order to give reliable composition data accurately and precisely positioned in the probed volume. Indeed, the large analysed surfaces of recent instruments require reconstruction methods taking into account not only the tip geometry but also accurate knowledge of geometrical projection parameters. This is particularly crucial in the analysis of multilayers materials or planar interfaces. The current work presents a simulation model that enables extraction of the two main projection features as a function of the tip and atom probe instrumentation geometries. Conversely to standard assumptions, the image compression factor and the field factor vary significantly during the analysis. An improved reconstruction method taking into account the intrinsic shape of a sample containing planar features is proposed to overcome this shortcoming. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.