Atomic Level Tomography for Materials Science

In modern materials research and technological development, there is an increasing need to be able to analyze the chemical composition and structure of the samples in more and more detail. The technological development of society is largely dependent on developments in materials technology, which allows the controlled modification of the properties of existing materials and the production of completely new materials. Combating climate change, achieving carbon neutrality targets and realizing the green transition will also require major breakthroughs in materials science in areas such as battery technology, the hydrogen economy, carbon neutral steel production, the circular economy and fossil-free energy production.

The MOTTO project aims to create a research environment based on Atom Probe Tomography (APT) at Centre for Material Analysis of the University of Oulu and the necessary capabilities to start APT measurements of material samples. The project will also develop required APT measurement expertise to serve the analytical needs of university’s research groups and companies.

The APT is a unique mass spectrometer for the precise study of the elemental composition of solid materials. The instrument can detect all elements from hydrogen to uranium in very low concentrations, and from the measurement data, three-dimensional elemental distribution maps of the sample can be generated with near single atom resolution. This allows the investigation of the true structure of materials with very high accuracy, opening completely new possibilities for materials scientists.

APT is a general-purpose research instrument and it can be utilized in a wide range of basic and applied research in different disciplines. The planned use of the instrument at the University of Oulu is extensive and will cover many research areas relevant to climate change mitigation and the green transition.