Abstract
This work presents the physical realisation of metallic ion beams from atomic emitters with currents of approximately 105 ions per second. It also puts forward the idea of field surface melting at approximately one third of the bulk melting temperature. Under cooling this melted surface, experiments show pyramidal structures of nanometer dimensions ending in one atom also separated by nanometers, then shaping surface grain boundaries. Furthermore, this reveals why it is possible to have atomic resolution in STM experiments. The formation of double, triple, etc. atomic teton tips is also possible. All this is shown by field ion and field emission microscopies and atomic metallic ion emission experiments presented here for tungsten tips