Application of the focused ion beam technique in aerosol science: detailed investigation of selected, airborne particles

Abstract

The focused ion beam technique was used to fabricate transmission electron microscope lamellas of selected, micrometre-sized airborne particles. Particles were sampled from ambient air on Nuclepore polycarbonate filters and analysed with an environmental scanning electron microscope. A large number of particles between 0.6 and 10 microm in diameter (projected optical equivalent diameter) were detected and analysed using computer-controlled scanning electron microscopy. From the resulting dataset, where the chemistry, morphology and position of each individual particle are stored, two particles were selected for a more detailed investigation. For that purpose, the particle-loaded filter was transferred from the environmental scanning electron microscope to the focused ion beam, where lamellas of the selected particles were fabricated. The definition of a custom coordinate system enabled the relocation of the particles after the transfer. The lamellas were finally analysed with an analytical transmission electron microscope. Internal structure and elemental distribution maps of the interior of the particles provided additional information about the particles, which helped to assign the particles to their sources. The combination of computer-controlled scanning electron microscopy, focused ion beam and transmission electron microscopy offers new possibilities for characterizing airborne particles in great detail, eventually enabling a detailed source apportionment of specific particles. The particle of interest can be selected from a large dataset (e.g. based on chemistry and/or morphology) and then investigated in more detail in the transmission electron microscope.