Abstract
When sharp metal filaments of W, Fe, Nb or Ta are observed in the field-ion microscope (FIM), their appearance is differentiated primarily by variations in regional brightness. This regional brightness, particularly prominent at liquid nitrogen temperature has been attributed in the main to chemical specificity which manifests itself in a paricular array of surface-atom electron-orbital configurations.Recently, anomalous image brightness and streaks in both fcc and bee materials observed in the FIM have been shown to be the result of surface asperities and related topographic features which arise by the unsystematic etching of the emission-tip end forms.
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)