Semiempirical pair potentials, obtained by applying the Chen-inversion tech
nique to a cohesion equation of Rose et al. [Phys. Rev. B 29, 2963 (1984)],
are employed to assess the bonding energies of surface atoms of intermetal
lic compounds. This provides a new calculational model of selective field e
vaporation in field-ion microscopy (FIM). Based on this model, a successful
interpretation of FIM image contrasts for Fe3Al, PtCo, Pt3Co, Ni4Mo, Ni3Al
, and Ni3Fe is given. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(9
9)07306-5].