International Field Emission Society
IFES'96
Proceedings of the 43^rd International Field Emission Symposium

J. Phys. IV France 06 (1996) C5-271-C5-276
DOI: 10.1051/jp4:1996544

Specimen Preparation and Atom Probe Field Ion Microscopy of BSCCO-2212 Superconductors

D.J. Larson^{1, 2, 3}, P.P. Camus^{2, 4}, J.L. Vargas², T.F. Kelly^{1, 2, 4} and M.K. Miller<sup>3

1</sup>  Materials Science Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, U.S.A.
²  Applied Superconductivity Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, U.S.A.
³  Metals and Ceramics Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6376, U.S.A.
⁴  Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, U.S.A.

Abstract
Field ion specimens of Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_x (BSCCO) high temperature superconductor (HTS) materials have been prepared using a combination of three different preparation techniques : the method of sharp shards, electropolishing and ion milling. Field ion microscopy (FIM) has demonstrated that samples which exhibit the "striped"-image contrast characteristic of HTS materials can be successfully fabricated using this combination. FIM images have been obtained which show the striped-image contrast much clearer than any previously published images of Pb-free BSCCO. Preliminary atom probe (AP) chemical analysis of the material was also performed. Analytical electron microscopy was used to confirm the existence of both the correct crystallographic structure and nominal composition in the near-apex region of the specimen after preparation and FIM.

© EDP Sciences 1996