Tuesday publication post 📖 In this newest publication, the authors used the electrical biasing stimili of the Fusion AX system to investigate how high-density pulsed electric currents transform dual-phase titanium alloys, combining FIB-based sample preparation with in situ TEM to capture structural evolution during electrical treatment.
A key part of the study was the use of a FIB-micromachined lamella mounted directly onto a FIB specialized E-chip, enabling controlled electrical current application while imaging the material in the TEM. This allowed the researchers to observe nanoscale phase transformations as they happened, rather than relying only on before-and-after characterization.
Key findings:
⚡ In situ TEM captured the formation of nanoscale α′ martensite during current application, confirming that the transformation occurred during electrical treatment rather than during subsequent cooling.
🔬 FIB-based micromachining enabled carefully designed sample geometries to investigate the thermal and athermal effects of the applied current.
🧩 The experiment revealed how electron-wind-driven atomic transport contributes to phase transformation and the development of hierarchical microstructures.
💡 The study demonstrates how combining specialized FIB sample preparation, electrical E-chips, and in situ TEM can uncover dynamic mechanisms that are difficult to resolve using conventional ex situ methods.
The work also highlights the importance of specialized E-chip designs for FIB-based electrical in situ TEM experiments. With Protochips’ newly introduced narrow-gap FIB-optimized E-chips, the sample gap has been reduced from 20 μm to 5 μm, enabling shorter lamellae and faster preparation while offering substantially lower device resistance.
This study showcases how #FusionAX can bridge advanced sample preparation and real-time electrical TEM, giving researchers a direct view of how materials transform under applied current.
Want to read the entire work?
https://www.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-70561-6
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