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DOE OSTI2024

Optimal Geometry for Focused Ion Beam-Milled Samples for Direct-Pull Micro-Tensile Testing Performed In Situ in a Scanning Electron Microscope

A thorough procedure was developed to efficiently manufacture dogbone samples using focused ion beam (FIB) milling for micro-tensile testing. A Bruker PI 89 PicoIndenter, Billerica, MA, USA, was used as a case study, although the analysis and results are applicable to other micro-mechanical testing systems capable of mounting a standard, Ø12.7 mm × Ø3.2 mm pin, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) pin stub (Ted Pella, Redding, CA, USA). Nine dogbones were made from an Fe-45Cu alloy additively manufactured using powder-fed laser-directed energy deposition (DED-LB). Testing showed that fracture was confined to the gauge section for all dogbones and that the fracture mode, ductile vs. brittle, was entirely dependent on the grain orientation relative to the loading direction. The analysis showed that the measured plastic strain to failure can vary from >11% (optimal geometry) to <1% (non-optimal geometry) in micro-tensile testing of high-tensile-strength (>1 GPa) metallic materials. Subsequently, a finite element analysis (FEA) was conducted to identify the improved dogbone geometries. A total of ten thousand dogbone geometries were tested, and their dimensions were defined by a set of four adjustable parameters (corner radius, load surface angle, load surface length, and dogbone head length). The gauge width and gauge length were fixed to 4 µm and 10 µm, respectively. Three-dimensional surface plots of the stress concentration as a function of two parameters were used to identify the optimal ranges of parameter values. The addition of maximum width and length constraints, measuring 25 µm and 30 µm, respectively, allowed us to identify an optimal geometry at load surface angles of 30° and 45°. Their respective dimensions (corner radius, load surface length, and dogbone head length) are, in µm, 12, 6, and 7 and 10, 7, and 7. Testing these two optimal geometries with a range of gauge lengths from 4 to 20 µm showed that smaller gauge lengths only slightly reduced the detrimental stress concentration outside the gauge section. However, smaller gauge lengths will notably improve the FIB surface polishing step as tapering is reduced with smaller dogbone lengths.

Chemistry↗

DOE OSTI2020

Microanalytical Approaches to Characterizing REE in Appalachian Basin Underclays

The search for a reliable U.S. domestic source of rare earth elements (REE) is necessary to support the demand of advanced energy applications (e.g., catalysts, electronics, magnets). Sedimentary deposits may be sources for selectively recovering REE and critical metals—specifically the interbedded seat rock, or underclay, that underlies or forms the floor of a coal seam. This material is often a major component of coal waste fines and refuse and thus readily available. This study examines several Appalachian Basin underclays associated with actively mined coal seams as potential feedstocks for the REE. Multimodal microanalytical electron microscopy (SEM, FIB-SEM, EMPA) synchrotron-based µXRF, and image processing techniques are coupled with detailed elemental and mineral data to classify the 2D and 3D petrophysical properties of the materials. The REE contents of Appalachian Basin underclays were measured from 235–399 ppm and predominantly observed as discrete REE-bearing minerals such as monazite and xenotime on the order of 10–100 µm in size. These REE-bearing minerals typically accounted for less than 1% of the scanned areas and volumes under SEM and FIB-SEM analysis, with the exception of regions enriched in crandallite. Synchrotron-based µXRF elemental maps further identified several REE deposition environments in different underclays, including micro-scale (10–100 µm) light REEs co-localizing with Ca and P, micro-scale heavy REEs with Fe, and large-scale light REEs (>200 µm) co-localizing with Sr, Ba, Ca and P.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

NASA NTRS1988

GaAs/GaAlAs distributed Bragg reflector laser with a focused ion beam, low dose dopant implanted grating

The performance of a GaAs/GaAlAs distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) laser using a focused ion beam implanted grating (FIB-DBR) is reported for the first time. Stripes of Si(2+) with a period of 2300 A and a dose about 10 to the 14th/sq cm are directly implanted into the passive large optical cavity layer to provide the distributed feedback. Surface-emitting light from the second-order grating is observed. Threshold current of 110 mA and single DBR mode operation from 20 to 40 C are obtained. The wavelength tuning rate with temperature is 0.8 A/C. The coupling coefficient is estimated to be 15/cm. The results show that FIB technology is practical for distributed feedback and DBR lasers and optoelectronic integrated circuits.

Wu, M. C.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Sub-Optical Lithography With Nanometer Definition Masks

Nanometer feature size lithography represents a major paradigm shift for the electronics and micro-electro-mechanical industries. In this paper, we discuss the capacity of dynamic focused reactive ion beam (FIB) etching systems to undertake direct and highly anisotropic erosion of thick evaporated gold coatings on boron-doped silicon X-ray mask membranes. FIB offers a new level of flexibility in micro fabrication, allowing for fast fabrication of X-ray masks, where pattern definition and surface alteration are combined in the same step which eliminates the whole lithographic process, in particular resist, resist development, electro-deposition and resist removal. Focused ion beam diameters as small as 7 nm can be obtained enabling fabrication well into the sub-20 nm regime. In preliminary demonstrations of this X-ray mask fabrication technique 22 nm width lines were milled directly through 0.9 microns of gold and a miniature mass spectrometer pattern was milled through over 0.5 microns of gold. Also presented are the results of the shadow printing, using the large depth of field of synchrotron high energy parallel X-ray beam, of these and other sub-optical defined patterns in photoresist conformally coated over surfaces of extreme topographical variation. Assuming that electronic circuits and/or micro devices scale proportionally, the surface area of devices processed with X-ray lithography and 20 nm critical dimension X-ray masks would be 0.5% that of contemporary devices (350 nm CD). The 20 CD mask fabrication represents an initial effort - a further factor of three reduction is anticipated which represents a further order-of-magnitude reduction in die area.

Hartley, Frank T.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Focused Ion Beam Recovery of Hypervelocity Impact Residue in Experimental Craters on Metallic Foils

The Stardust sample return capsule will return to Earth in January 2006 with primitive debris collected from Comet 81P/Wild-2 during the fly-by encounter in 2004. In addition to the cometary particles embedded in low-density silica aerogel, there will be microcraters preserved in the Al foils (1100 series; 100 micrometers thick) that are wrapped around the sample tray assembly. Soda lime spheres (approximately 49 m in diameter) have been accelerated with a light-gas-gun into flight-grade Al foils at 6.35 km s(sup -1) to simulate the potential capture of cometary debris. The preserved crater penetrations have been analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) to locate and characterize remnants of the projectile material remaining within the craters. In addition, ion beam induced secondary electron imaging has proven particularly useful in identifying areas within the craters that contain residue material. Finally, high-precision focused ion beam (FIB) milling has been used to isolate and then extract an individual melt residue droplet from the interior wall of an impact penetration. This enabled further detailed elemental characterization, free from the background contamination of the Al foil substrate. The ability to recover pure melt residues using FIB will significantly extend the interpretations of the residue chemistry preserved in the Al foils returned by Stardust.

Graham, G. A.↗

NASA NTRS2007

Fabrication of Buried Nanochannels From Nanowire Patterns

A method of fabricating channels having widths of tens of nanometers in silicon substrates and burying the channels under overlying layers of dielectric materials has been demonstrated. With further refinement, the method might be useful for fabricating nanochannels for manipulation and analysis of large biomolecules at single-molecule resolution. Unlike in prior methods, burying the channels does not involve bonding of flat wafers to the silicon substrates to cover exposed channels in the substrates. Instead, the formation and burying of the channels are accomplished in a more sophisticated process that is less vulnerable to defects in the substrates and less likely to result in clogging of, or leakage from, the channels. In this method, the first step is to establish the channel pattern by forming an array of sacrificial metal nanowires on an SiO2-on-Si substrate. In particular, the wire pattern is made by use of focused-ion-beam (FIB) lithography and a subsequent metallization/lift-off process. The pattern of metal nanowires is then transferred onto the SiO2 layer by reactive-ion etching, which yields sacrificial SiO2 nanowires covered by metal. After removal of the metal covering the SiO2 nanowires, what remains are SiO2 nanowires on an Si substrate. Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) is used to form a layer of a dielectric material over the Si substrate and over the SiO2 wires on the surface of the substrate. FIB milling is then performed to form trenches at both ends of each SiO2 wire. The trenches serve as openings for the entry of chemicals that etch SiO2 much faster than they etch Si. Provided that the nanowires are not so long that the diffusion of the etching chemicals is blocked, the sacrificial SiO2 nanowires become etched out from between the dielectric material and the Si substrate, leaving buried channels. At the time of reporting the information for this article, channels 3 m long, 20 nm deep, and 80 nm wide (see figure) had been fabricated by this method.

Choi, Daniel↗

NASA NTRS2010

Estimating the Probability of Electrical Short Circuits from Tin Whiskers

To comply with lead-free legislation, many manufacturers have converted from tin-lead to pure tin finishes of electronic components. However, pure tin finishes have a greater propensity to grow tin whiskers than tin-lead finishes. Since tin whiskers present an electrical short circuit hazard in electronic components, simulations have been developed to quantify the risk of said short circuits occurring. Existing risk simulations make the assumption that when a free tin whisker has bridged two adjacent exposed electrical conductors, the result is an electrical short circuit. This conservative assumption is made because shorting is a random event that had an unknown probability associated with it. Note however that due to contact resistance electrical shorts may not occur at lower voltage levels. In our first article we developed an empirical probability model for tin whisker shorting. In this paper, we develop a more comprehensive empirical model using a refined experiment with a larger sample size, in which we studied the effect of varying voltage on the breakdown of the contact resistance which leads to a short circuit. From the resulting data we estimated the probability distribution of an electrical short, as a function of voltage. In addition, the unexpected polycrystalline structure seen in the focused ion beam (FIB) cross section in the first experiment was confirmed in this experiment using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The FIB was also used to cross section two card guides to facilitate the measurement of the grain size of each card guide's tin plating to determine its finish .

Courey, Karim J.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Nakhla: a Martian Meteorite with Indigenous Organic Carbonaceous Features

The Nakhla meteorite possesses discrete, well defined, structurally coherent morphologies of carbonaceous phases present within iddingsite alteration zones. Based upon both isotopic measurements and analysis of organic phases the presence of pre-terrestrial organics is now recognized. Within the microcrystalline layers of Nakhla s iddingsite, discrete clusters of salt crystals are present. These salts are predominantly halite (NaCl) with minor MgCl2 crystals. Some CaSO4, likely gypsum, appears to be partially intergrown with some of the halite. EDX mapping shows discrete C-rich features are interspersed among these crystals. A hollow semi-spherical bowl structure (~ 3 m ) has been identified and analyzed after using a focused ion beam (FIB) to cut a transverse TEM thin section of the feature and the underlying iddingsite. TEM/EDX analysis reveals that the feature is primarily carbonaceous containing C with lesser amounts of Si, S, Ca, Cl, F, Na, and minor Mn and Fe; additionally a small peak consistent with N, which has been previously seen in Nakhla carbonaceous matter, is also present. Selected area electron diffraction (SAED) shows that this C-rich material is amorphous (lacking any long-range crystallographic order) and is not graphite or carbonate. Micro-Raman spectra acquired from the same surface from which the FIB section was extracted demonstrate a typical kerogen-like D and G band structure with a weak absorption peak at 1350 and a stronger peak at 1600/cm. The C-rich feature is intimately associated with both the surrounding halite and underlying iddingsite matrix. Both iddingsite and salts are interpreted as having formed as evaporate assemblages from progressive evaporation of water bodies on Mars. This assemblage, sans the carbonaceous moieties, closely resembles iddingsite alteration features previously described which were interpreted as indigenous Martian assemblages. These distinctive macromolecular carbonaceous structures in Nakhla may represent one of the sources of the high molecular weight organic material previously identified in Nakhla. While we do not speculate on the origin of these unique carbonaceous structures, we note that the significance of such observations is that it may allow us to construct a C-cycle for Mars based on the C chemistry of the Martian meteorites with obvious implications for astrobiology and the prebiotic evolution of Mars. In any case, our observations strongly suggest that organic C exists as micrometersize, discrete structures on Mars.

McKay, D. S.↗

NASA NTRS2008

An Investigation of the Electrical Short Circuit Characteristics of Tin Whiskers

In this experiment, an empirical model to quantify the probability of occurrence of an electrical short circuit from tin whiskers as a function of voltage was developed. This model can be used to improve existing risk simulation models FIB and TEM images of a tin whisker confirm the rare polycrystalline structure on one of the three whiskers studied. FIB cross-section of the card guides verified that the tin finish was bright tin.

Courey, Karim J.↗

NASA NTRS2009

Tin Whisker Electrical Short Circuit Characteristics

Existing risk simulations make the assumption that when a free tin whisker has bridged two adjacent exposed electrical conductors, the result is an electrical short circuit. This conservative assumption is made because shorting is a random event that has an unknown probability associated with it. Note however that due to contact resistance electrical shorts may not occur at lower voltage levels. In our first article we developed an empirical probability model for tin whisker shorting. In this paper, we develop a more comprehensive empirical model using a refined experiment with a larger sample size, in which we studied the effect of varying voltage on the breakdown of the contact resistance which leads to a short circuit. From the resulting data we estimated the probability distribution of an electrical short, as a function of voltage. In addition, the unexpected polycrystalline structure seen in the focused ion beam (FIB) cross section in the first experiment was confirmed in this experiment using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The FIB was also used to cross section two card guides to facilitate the measurement of the grain size of each card guide's tin plating to determine its finish.

Courey, Karim J.↗

NASA NTRS2009

An Empirical Model for Estimating the Probability of Electrical Short Circuits from Tin Whiskers

In this experiment, an empirical model to quantify the probability of occurrence of an electrical short circuit from tin whiskers as a function of voltage was developed. This empirical model can be used to improve existing risk simulation models. FIB and TEM images of a tin whisker confirm the rare polycrystalline structure on one of the three whiskers studied. FIB cross-section of the card guides verified that the tin finish was bright tin.

Courey, Karim↗

NASA NTRS2009

Developing an Empirical Model for Estimating the Probability of Electrical Short Circuits from Tin Whiskers

Courey, Karim J.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Allochthonous Addition of Meteoritic Organics to the Lunar Regolith

Preparation of lunar samples 74220,861 was discussed in detail in [3, 4]. Our analysis sequence was as follows: optical microscopy, UV fluorescence imaging, -Raman, FESEM-EDX imaging and mapping, FETEMEDX imaging and mapping of a Focused Ion Beam (FIB) extracted section, and NanoSIMs analysis. We observed fluffytextured C-rich regions of interest (ROI) on three different volcanic glass beads. Each ROI was several m2 in size and fluoresced when exposed to UV. Using FESEM/EDX, the largest ROI measured ~36 m and was located on an edge of a plateau located on the uppermost surface of the bead. The ROI was covered on one edge by a siliceous filament emanating from the plateau surface indicating it was attached to the bead while on the Moon. EDX mapping of the ROI shows it is composed primarily of heterogeneously distributed C. Embedded with the carbonaceous phase are localized concentrations of Si, Fe, Al and Ti indicating the presence of glass and/or minerals grains. -Raman showed strong D- and G-bands and their associated second order bands; intensity and location of these bands indicates the carbonaceous matter is structurally disorganized. A TEM thin section was extracted from the surface of a glass bead using FIB microscopy. High resolution TEM imaging and selected area electron diffraction demonstrate the carbonaceous layer to be amorphous; it lacked any long or short range order characteristic of micro- or nanocrystalline graphite. Additionally TEM imaging also revealed the presence of submicron mineral grains, typically < 50 nm in size, dispersed within the carbonaceous layer. NanoSIMs data will be presented and discussed at the meeting. Given the noted similarities between the carbonaceous matter present on 74220 glass beads and meteoritic kerogen, we suggest the allochthonous addition of meteoritic organics as the most probable source for the C-rich ROIs.

Thomas-Keprta, K. L.↗

NASA NTRS2014

A Coordinated Focused Ion Beam/Ultramicrotomy Technique for Serial Sectioning of Hayabusa Particles and Other Returned Samples

Recent sample return missions, such as NASA's Stardust mission to comet 81P/Wild 2 and JAXA's Hayabusa mission to asteroid 25143 Itokawa, have returned particulate samples (typically ~5-50 μm) that pose tremendous challenges to coordinated analysis using a variety of nano- and micro-beam techniques. The ability to glean maximal information from individual particles has become increasingly important and depends critically on how the samples are prepared for analysis. This also holds true for other extraterrestrial materials, including interplanetary dust particles, micrometeorites and lunar regolith grains. Traditionally, particulate samples have been prepared using microtomy techniques (e.g., [1]). However, for hard mineral particles ≳20 μm, microtome thin sections are compromised by severe chatter and sample loss. For these difficult samples, we have developed a hybrid technique that combines traditional ultramicrotomy with focused ion beam (FIB) techniques, allowing for the in situ investigation of grain surfaces and interiors. Using this method, we have increased the number of FIB-SEM prepared sections that can be recovered from a particle with dimensions on the order of tens of μms. These sections can be subsequently analyzed using a variety of electron beam techniques. Here, we demonstrate this sample preparation technique on individual lunar regolith grains in order to study their space-weathered surfaces. We plan to extend these efforts to analyses of individual Hayabusa samples.

Berger, E. L.↗

NASA NTRS2014

Nanoscale Compositional Relations in Lunar Rock Patina: Deciphering Sources for Patina Components on an Apollo 17 Station 6 Boulder

Space weathering on the Moon and other airless bodies modifies the surfaces of regolith grains as well as the space-exposed surfaces of larger rocks and boulders. As space weathering witness plates, rocks and boulders are distinguished from regolith grains based on their ability to persist as physically intact substrates over longer time scales before being disaggregated by impact processes. Because lunar surfaces, including exposed rocks, quickly develop an optically thick layer of patina, it is important to understand the compositional relationship between patinas and their underlying rock substrates, particularly to support remote-sensing of rocky lunar terrains. Based on analytical TEM techniques, supported by focused ion beam (FIB) cross-sectioning, we have begun to systematize the multi-layer microstructural complexity of patinas on rock samples with a range of space exposure histories. Our on-going work has particularly focused on lunar rock 76015, both because it has a long (approx. 22 my) exposure history, and because its surface was exposed to patina development approximately 1 m off the regolith surface on a boulder in the Apollo 17 Station 6 boulder field. Potential sources for the 76015 patina therefore include impact-melted and vaporized material derived from the local rock substrate, as well as from the mix of large boulders and regolith in the Station 6 area. While similar, there are differences in the mineralogy and chemistry of the rocks and regolith at Station 6. We were interested to see if these, or other sources, could be distinguished in the average composition, as well as the compositional nanostratigraphy of the 76015 patina. To date we have acquired a total of 9 TEM FIB cross-sections from the 76015 patina, giving us reasonable confidence of being able to arrive at an integrated average for the patina major element composition based on analytical TEM methods.

Christoffersen, R.↗

NASA NTRS2016

Application of Scanning-Imaging X-Ray Microscopy to Fluid Inclusion Candidates in Carbonates of Carbonaceous Chondrites

In order to search for such fluid inclusions in carbonaceous chondrites, a nondestructive technique using x-ray micro-absorption tomography combined with FIB sampling was developed and applied to a carbonaceous chondrite. They found fluid inclusion candidates in calcite grains, which were formed by aqueous alteration. However, they could not determine whether they are really aqueous fluids or merely voids. Phase and absorption contrast images can be simultaneously obtained in 3D by using scanning-imaging x-ray microscopy (SIXM). In refractive index, n=1-sigma+i(beta), in the real part, 1-sigma is the refractive index with decrement, sigma, which is nearly proportional to the density, and the imaginary part, beta, is the extinction coefficient, which is related to the liner attenuation coefficient, mu. Many phases, including water and organic materials as well as minerals, can be identified by SIXM, and this technique has potential availability for Hayabusa-2 sample analysis too. In this study, we examined quantitative performance of d and m values and the spatial resolution in SIXM by using standard materials, and applied this technique to carbonaceous chondrite samples. We used POM ([CH2O]n), silicon, quartz, forsterite, corundum, magnetite and nickel as standard materials for examining the sigma and mu values. A fluid inclusion in terrestrial quartz and bi-valve shell (Atrina vexillum), which are composed of calcite and organic layers with different thickness, were also used for examining the spatial resolution. The Ivuna (CI) and Sutter's Mill (CM) meteorites were used as carbonaceous chondrite samples. Rod- or cube-shaped samples 20-30 micron in size were extracted by using FIB from cross-sectional surfaces of the standard materials or polished thin sections of the chondrites, which was previously observed with SEM. Then, the sample was attached to a thin W-needle and imaged by SIXM system at beamline BL47XU, SPring-8, Japan. The slice thickness was 109.3 nm and the pixel size was mostly 100 nm.

Tsuchiyama, Akira↗

NASA NTRS2016

Organic Aggregates with (delta)D and delta(sup 15)N Anomalies in the Zag Clast Revealed by STXM and NanoSIMS

Xenolithic clasts are often found in a wide variety of meteorite groups. Some ordinary chondrite clasts are interesting since these clasts might have originated from Ceres which shares crossing orbits with a possible ordinary chondrite parent body, Hebe. The Zag meteorite contains a dark clast dominated by saponite, serpentine, carbonates, sulfides, magnetite, minor olivine and pyroxene, which is consistent with formation on a large, carbonaceous, aqueously active body, e.g., Ceres. Abundant large C-rich grains up to 20 microns were found in the Zag clast as well. Such large C-rich grains are unique among any other meteorites in our knowledge, and will provide important clues to decipher the origin of the clast and accretion history. C-rich grains were selected in the Zag dark clast using SEM and approximately 100 nm-thick sections were prepared using a focused ion beam (FIB) at NASA-JSC. The sections were analyzed using the scanning transmission X-ray microscope (STXM) on beamline 5.3.2.2 at Advanced Light Source, LBNL, and BL-13A at the Photon Factory, KEK. Subsequently, the FIB section was analyzed for H, C and N isotopic compositions using a CAMECA NanoSIMS 50L ion microprobe at Kochi Institute for Core Sample Research, JAMSTEC

Kebukawa, Y.↗

NASA NTRS2018

Relative Sputtering Rates of FeS, MgS, and Mg Silicates: Implications for ISM Gas Phase Depletions of Rock-Forming Elements

Astronomical measurements of S abundances in the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) indicate ionized S is a dominant species with little (< 5%) S residing in grains (e.g. Jenkins 2009). This is an enigmatic result, given that abundant Fe-sulfide grains are observed in dust around pre- and post-main sequence stars and are also observed as major components of primitive meteoritic and cometary samples. These disparate observations suggest that the lifetime of sulfide grains in the ISM is short because of destruction processes. Our previous work has shown that FeS and MgS retain their crystallinity and do not amorphize during radiation processing, whereas enstatite and forsterite are readily amorphized. We have extended this study to measure the relative sputtering rates of FeS and MgS compared to enstatite and forsterite. Irradiation of FeS with 4 keV He+ results in preferential sputtering of S and the formation of a thin 2-3 nm, compact Fe metal layer that armors the surface. The zone of S loss extends to a depth of ~8-10 nm below the exposed surface. Despite this S loss, the FeS retains its crystallinity and shows no sign of incipient amorphization. Irradiation of FeS with 5kV Ga+ in a focused ion beam (FIB) instrument resulted in preferential sputtering of S and the formation of a 5-8-nm thick surface layer of nanophase Fe metal. X-ray mapping shows that the zone of S sputtering extends to a depth of nearly 20 nm, but there is no evidence for FeS amorphization, consistent with our previous work. The irradiation experiments show that the relative sputtering rate of FeS and MgS are much higher than olivine or enstatite. Sputtering experiments utilizing 30 kV and 5 kV Ga ions in the FIB produced volume loss in troilite that was ~4X greater than in enstatite or forsterite. The sputter yield under these conditions is such that for every Si atom sputtered from enstatite, ~14 S atoms are sputtered from FeS. We have performed similar sputtering experiments on Fe-bearing niningerite (MgS) and co-existing enstatite from the ALH 84170 EH3 chondrite. MgS also sputters much more rapidly than enstatite with a relative Si:S sputter yield of 1:8. For MgS, sulfur is highly depleted at the surface and the S-depletion zone extends to a depth of ~15 nm (using 5 kV Ga+). There is a corresponding zone of Mg and especially Fe enrichment that extends from 5 to ~10 nm below the surface, respectively. The dominant grain destruction mechanism in the ISM is sputtering from passage of supernova-generated shock waves. This process also results in the amorphization of crystalline silicates in the ISM. Our results indicate that FeS and MgS grains produced in evolved stars and injected into the ISM will be destroyed more rapidly than crystalline silicates. This process may account for the lack of significant depletion of S from the gas phase in the ISM. However, rare nanophase FeS grains occur as inclusions in circumstellar amorphous silicate grains found in comet dust particles analyzed in the laboratory. These results show that a finite amount of S in the ISM is sequestered in solid grains.

SPUTTERING RATES↗