Phase Selective Sample Preparation of Al-Si alloys for Atom Probe Tomography

We present how the conventional focused ion beam (FIB) lift-out method can be modified to obtain phase selective specimens for atom probe tomography (APT). The modified method combines selective deep etching with site-specific lift-out using a micromanipulator in a FIB/SEM workstation. This method is used for phase-selective sample preparation in alloys with complex microstructures such as the coral- and plate-like silicon structures in the eutectic phase of Al-Si castings. The method proves to be both, practical and robust, with a high success rate of high-quality phase-specific APT specimens.