Computer simulation of field ion images of nanoporous structure in the irradiated materials

Abstract

Computer simulation and interpretation of field ion microscopy images of ion irradiated platinum are discussed. Field ion microscopy technique provides direct precise atomic scale investigation of crystal lattice defects of atomically pure surface of material; at the same time it allows to analyze the structural defects in volume by controlled and sequential removal of surface atoms by electric field. Defects identification includes the following steps: at the first stage the type of crystalline structure and spatial orientation of crystallographic directions were determined. Thus, we obtain the data about exact position of all atoms of the given volume, i.e. the model image of an ideal crystal. At the second stage, the ion image was processed used the program to obtain the data about real arrangement of atoms of the investigated sample. At the third stage the program compares these two data sets, with a split-hair accuracy revealing a site of all defects in a material. Results of the quantitative analysis show that shape of nanopores are spherical or cylindrical, diameter on nanopores was varied from 1 to 5 run, their depth was fond to be from 1 to 9 nm. It was observed that nearly 40% of nanopores are concentrated in the subsurface layer 10 nm thick, the concentration of nanopores decreased linearly with the distance from the irradiated surface.