July 9, 1995
SIMS compositional imaging
The figure is the superpostion of two color-coded secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) images of an Al-11.6at%Cu-18.7at%Li alloy.
The Al-rich areas are shown in blue, the Li in yellow. The Li-rich areas are the eutectic phase T1 (Al2LiCu), and the Al-rich areas consist of Al-Li solid solution alpha. Copper, not shown here, is very inhomogeneously distributed throughout the T1 phase. Fluorine, oxygen and other trace elements can also be detected with the imaging SIMS instrument at the University of Chicago. Aspects of this information are not obtainable by other surface analysis techniques, highlighting the advantages of SIMS compositional imaging. The field of view in this image is 80 micrometers.
Description written on July 13, 1995 by J. Chabala. Analysis performed in 1990.