TOMOGRAPHY ATOMIC PROBE COMPRISING A HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRIC PULSE ELECTRO-OPTICAL GENERATOR

摘要

The invention pertains to the general field of tomography atomic probes, and more particularly to tomography atomic probes that use electric pulses applied to an electrode for vaporising the analysed sample. In order to generate the electric pulse, the tomography atomic probe of the invention includes a high-voltage generator including a path of a semi-conducting material. The probe also includes a light source that can be controlled for generating light pulses applied to the semi-conducting patch. During the entire duration of illumination, the patch is made conductive, thereby electrically contacting the high voltage generator and the electrode so that a potential step is applied on the latter. Le probe further includes means for applying at the end of a time interval ?t0 a voltage step having an amplitude opposite to that of the previous step so that electrode finally receives a voltage pulse having a duration ?t0.