Traditional reconstruction protocols in atom probe tomography frequently feature image distortions for multiphase materials, due to inaccurate geometric assumptions regarding specimen evolution. In the paper 'Automated calibration of model-driven reconstructions in atom probe tomography', the authors outline a new reconstruction protocol capable of correcting many of these distortions.
The new method uses predictions from a previously developed physical model for specimen field evaporation. The application of this new model-driven approach to both an experimental semiconductor multilayer system and a fin field-effect transistor device (finFET) is considered. In both systems, a significant reduction in multiphase image distortions when using this new algorithm is clearly demonstrated.
By being able to quantiatively compare model predictions with experiment, such a method could also be applied to testing and validating new developments in field evaporation theory.