Measurements of the surface diffusion coefficient in iron-carbon alloys using Focused Ion Beam milling and High Temperature Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy

Authors

D. Blundell, University of WollongongFollow
Mark H. Reid, University of WollongongFollow
N. Zapuskalov, Cooparoo, Queensland, Australia
Rian J. Dippenaar, University of WollongongFollow

RIS ID

18240

Publication Details

This article was originally published as Blundell, D, Reid, M, Zapuskalov, N and Dippenaar, R, Measurements of the surface diffusion coefficient in iron-carbon alloys using Focused Ion Beam milling and High Temperature Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy, Microscopy and Microanalysis, 11, Supplement 2, 2005. Copyright Miscroscopy Society of America. Original journal available here.

Abstract

The use of high-temperature confocal microscopy, shows a great potential as a means of measuring surface diffusion coefficients in metallic systems[1]. This new experimental approach has an advantage as contaminants entering the system are significantly reduced. Surface diffusion coefficients can be determined at temperatures approaching the melting point. Mullins and King[2-5] have shown that surface undulations can be related to the surface diffusion coefficient of a metal. In this study, focused ion beam (FIB) milling has been used to introduce geometrically well-defined undulations on the surface of iron and iron carbon alloys. High temperature laser scanning confocal microscopy was then used to observe the decay in situ in real time.