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Zhou et al. Microstructures 2023;3:2023043 Microstructures
DOI: 10.20517/microstructures.2023.38

Review Open Access

Cryogenic atom probe tomography and its

applications: a review

2,5
2,5
2,5
2,6
Ziyang Zhou 1,2,4 , Zhengquan Wang 2,3,4 , Ranming Niu , Pang-Yu Liu , Chao Huang , Yi-Hsuan Sun ,
4
6
2,5
Xiutong Wang , Hung-Wei Yen , Julie M. Cairney , Yi-Sheng Chen 4,5,6
1
State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, School of Aerospace Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong
University, Xi'an 710049, Shaanxi, China.
2
Australian Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia.
3
Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Biomedical Metallic Materials, Northwest Institute for Non-Ferrous Metal Research, Xi’an 710016,
Shaanxi, China.
4
Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Corrosion and Bio-Fouling, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Science,
Qingdao 266071, Shandong, China.
5
School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia.
6
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106216, Taiwan.
Correspondence to: Prof. Yi-Sheng Chen, Australian Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, The University of Sydney, Sydney
2006, Australia. E-mail: yi-sheng.chen@sydney.edu.au
How to cite this article: Zhou Z, Wang Z, Niu R, Liu PY, Huang C, Sun YH, Wang X, Yen HW, Cairney JM, Chen YS. Cryogenic
atom probe tomography and its applications: a review. Microstructures 2023;3:2023043. https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/
microstructures.2023.38
Received: 1 Aug 2023 First Decision: 13 Sep 2023 Revised: 18 Sep 2023 Accepted: 27 Sep 2023 Published: 13 Nov 2023
Academic Editors: Lin Gu, Jiangyu Li Copy Editor: Fangling Lan Production Editor: Fangling Lan
Abstract
Cryogenic atom probe tomography (cryo-APT) is a new microstructure characterization technique with the
potential to address challenges across various research fields. In this review, we provide an overview of the
development of cryo-APT and the associated instrumentation that transforms conventional APT into cryo-APT.
We start by introducing the APT principle and the instrumentation involved in the cryo-APT workflow, emphasizing
the key techniques that enable cryo-APT specimen preparation. Furthermore, we shed light on the research made
possible by cryo-APT, presenting several recent outcomes to demonstrate its capabilities effectively. Finally, we
discuss the limitations of cryo-APT and summarize the potential research areas that can further benefit from this
cutting-edge microstructural characterization technique.

Keywords: Atom probe tomography, cryogenic microscopy, microanalysis, materials characterization, hydrogen
mapping

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