Studying localized corrosion using liquid cell transmission electron microscopy

Abstract

Localized corrosion of Cu and Al thin films exposed to aqueous NaCl solutions was studied using liquid cell transmission electron microscopy (LCTEM). We demonstrate that potentiostatic control can be used to initiate pitting and that local compositional changes, due to focused ion beam implantation of Au⁺ ions, can modify the corrosion susceptibility of Al films.