Welcome to the new version of CaltechAUTHORS. Login is currently restricted to library staff. If you notice any issues, please email coda@library.caltech.edu
Published 1998 | public
Book Section - Chapter

Comparison of Focused Ion Beam and Conventional Techniques on TEM Specimen Preparation of Metal-Ceramic Interfaces

Abstract

The results of TEM analyses of materials are critically dependent on the quality of the sample prepared. Although numerous techniques have been developed in the last two decades, differential thinning of inhomogeneous materials remains a serious problem. Recently, focused ion beam (FIB) technique has been introduced for cross-sectional sample preparation for TEM and SEM. A novel system for depositing a fine-grain (~200 nm) ceramic coating on a metal surface via a patent pending Small-Particle Plasma Spray (SPPS) technique has been developed at the Basic Industry Research Laboratory of Northwestern University. To understand the properties of the coated surface, the ceramic/metal interface and the microstructure of the ceramic coating must be investigated. This paper presents a comparison of the microstructure of an Al_2O_3 coating on a mild steel substrate prepared using conventional and FIB techniques.

Additional Information

© Microscopy Society of America 1998. ARAL is grateful to the Exchange Program between Northwestern and University of Seville. KTF acknowledges the support of the U.S. DOE's Fossil Energy Technology Center under Cooperative Agreement No. DE-FC21-92MC29061. This research made use of Central Facilities supported by the MRSEC program of the NSF (DMR-9632472) at MRC, Northwestern University.

Additional details

Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
October 17, 2023