Reducing the formation of FIB-induced FCC layers on Cu-Zn-Al austenite

✍ Scribed by Eugenia Zelaya; Dominique Schryvers

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 437 KB
• Volume: 74
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1059-910X
• DOI: 10.1002/jemt.20877

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The irradiation effects of thinning a sample of a Cu‐Zn‐Al shape memory alloy to electron transparency by a Ga^+^ focused ion beam were investigated. This thinning method was compared with conventional electropolishing and Ar^+^ ion milling. No implanted Ga was detected but surface FCC precipitation was found as a result of the focused ion beam sample preparation. Decreasing the irradiation dose by lowering the energy and current of the Ga^+^ ions did not lead to a complete disappearance of the FCC structure. The latter could only be removed after gentle Ar^+^ ion milling of the sample. It was further concluded that the precipitation of the FCC is independent of the crystallographic orientation of the surface. Microsc. Res. Tech. 74:84‐91, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.