Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Moore, Stacy
• Warren, Alexander D.
• Burrows, Robert
• Payton, Oliver D.
• Picco, Loren
• Russell-Pavier, Freddie S.
• Martin, Peter G.
• Martin, Tomas L.

Titel

Sample preparation methods for optimal HS-AFM analysis: Duplex stainless steel

Ist Teil von

• Ultramicroscopy, 2021-03, Vol.222, p.113210-113210, Article 113210

Ort / Verlag

Netherlands: Elsevier B.V

Erscheinungsjahr

2021

Quelle

Alma/SFX Local Collection

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• •Optimal surface preparation for high-speed AFM analysis is explored.•Mechanical and colloidal silica polishing, acid etching, electrolytic etching, and focussed ion beam etching are compared in terms of their suitability for sample preparation for high-speed AFM.•Mechanical and colloidal silica polishing allowed for high resolution imaging of surface microstructure by high-speed AFM. The contact mode high-speed atomic force microscope (AFM) operates orders of magnitude faster than conventional AFMs. It is capable of capturing multiple frames per second with nanometre-scale lateral resolution and subatomic height resolution. This advancement in imaging rate allows for microscale analysis across macroscale surfaces, making it suitable for applications across materials science. However, the quality of the surface analysis obtained by high-speed AFM is highly dependent upon the standard of sample preparation and the resultant final surface finish. In this study, different surface preparation techniques that are commonly implemented within metallurgical studies are compared for samples of SAF 2205 duplex stainless steel. It was found that, while acid etching and electrolytic etching were optimal for the low resolution of optical microscopy, these methods were less suited for analysis by high resolution high-speed AFM. Mechanical and colloidal silica polishing was found to be the optimal method explored, as it provided a gentle etch of the surface allowing for high quality topographic maps of the sample surface.