Performance of a microsphere plate electron multiplier in APFIM applications

The microsphere plate (MSP) is a recently introduced electron multiplier, t hat is comparable in principle of operation to the well-known microchannel plate. The performance of a MSP detector has been evaluated for field ion i maging and single atom detection in time-of-flight atom probe mass spectrom etry. The image performance of a MSP is not sufficient for obtaining high-q uality field ion images, due to the lack of spatial resolution as well as t he granularity observed in the images. Gain, pulse height resolution, and t emporal resolution obtained from one double thickness MSP are sufficient fo r use in a time-of-flight single atom sensitivity detector. The detection e fficiency was estimated to be similar to 42% for ions in the energy range b etween 10 and 40 keV. The operation of the MSP detector was successfully de monstrated in a typical atom probe application. Published by Elsevier Scien ce B.V.