Three-dimensional nanoscale composition mapping of semiconductor nanowires

We demonstrate the three-dimensional composition mapping of a semiconductor nanowire with single-atom sensitivity and subnanometer spatial resolution using atom probe tomography. A new class of atom probe, the local electrode atom probe (LEAP) microscope, was used to map the position of single Au atoms in an InAs nanowire and to image the interface between a Au catalyst and InAs in three dimensions with 0.3-nm resolution. These results establish atom probe tomography as a uniquely powerful tool for analyzing the chemical composition of semiconductor nanostructures.