The Advanced Resource Characterisation Facility (ARCF) has a suite of advanced analytical instrumentation which has been used to analyse geological materials at various length scales to extract novel information. One of the showcase instruments in the ARCF is the Atom Probe (Cameca LEAP 4000x HR) which is capable of providing chemical information in three dimensions down to sub-nanometre scales. This is achieved by the field evaporation of ions from very sharp needles (diameter <100 nm) which are typically prepared in a FIB-SEM.
A Tescan LYRA FIB-SEM was recently installed at Curtin University which has been fitted with an orthogonal TOF-SIMS as well as Oxford EDS and EBSD detectors. This combination enables the FIB-SEM to be used for high precision site-selective atom probe sample preparation and for advanced microanalysis in 2D and 3D. Results from surface analyses (electron and ion imaging, EDS, EBSD), sub-surface analyses (3D imaging, 3D EDS, 3D EBSD), and unique in-situ TOF-SIMS analyses are able to be correlated with site specific atom probe tomography results which enables a microstructural and microchemical characterisation of highly complex materials on a wide range of length scales.
The new instrumentation represents a unique combination of analytical capabilities, which has produced novel results. In this paper case studies will be presented showing the multiscale characterisation of geological materials. Technical challenges and technique developments will also be discussed.