MEMS fabrication of a microelectrode for local electrode atom probe microanalysis

摘要

The Local Electrode Atom Probe (LEAP) shows great promise for extending the atom probe technique to a wide range of materials characterization problems. One essential component of the LEAP is the local extraction electrode used to apply a voltage pulse to the sample. A conical microelectrode designed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is currently being fabricated using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) techniques, X-ray lithography and electroplating. This technique produces multiple, uniform microelectrodes on a single wafer with very smooth surfaces and a high degree f quality control.