Abstract

By combining a ps to ns pulsed-laser heating and excitation technique to the atomic resolution field ion microscope and the single atom detection sensitivity atom-probe FIM, we are now able to study in detail the atomic structures and the atomic steps in surface reconstruction, gas-surface interactions, and many other field ion emission phenomena with atomic spatial resolution and ns to fs time resolution. In this talk an over view of this new development will be described, but I will emphasize two specific subjects where the uniqueness of the technique can be clearly visualized. They are the atomic reconstruction of Pt and Ir(001) and (110) planes, and dissociation of compound ions in high electric field by an atomic tunneling effect.

© 1987 Optical Society of America