The Electronic Structure of Crystalline Solids

1986 ◽  
pp. 135-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugo Friedrich Franzen
Keyword(s):  
Electronic Structure ◽  
Crystalline Solids

EELS Measurement of the Local Electronic Structure of Copper Atoms Segregated to Aluminum Grain Boundaries

1996 ◽  
Vol 54 ◽  
pp. 342-343
Author(s):  
S.J. Splinter ◽  
J. Bruley ◽  
P.E. Batson ◽  
D.A. Smith ◽  
R. Rosenberg
Keyword(s):  
Electronic Structure ◽  
Grain Boundaries ◽  
Boundary Segregation ◽  
Thin Layers ◽  
Nominal Composition ◽  
Spatially Resolved ◽  
Service Lifetime ◽  
Heat Treated ◽  
Probe Size ◽  
Local Electronic Structure

It has long been known that the addition of Cu to Al interconnects improves the resistance to electromigration failure. It is generally accepted that this improvement is the result of Cu segregation to Al grain boundaries. The exact mechanism by which segregated Cu increases service lifetime is not understood, although it has been suggested that the formation of thin layers of θ-CuA12 (or some metastable substoichiometric precursor, θ’ or θ”) at the boundaries may be necessary. This paper reports measurements of the local electronic structure of Cu atoms segregated to Al grain boundaries using spatially resolved EELS in a UHV STEM. It is shown that segregated Cu exists in a chemical environment similar to that of Cu atoms in bulk θ-phase precipitates.Films of 100 nm thickness and nominal composition Al-2.5wt%Cu were deposited by sputtering from alloy targets onto NaCl substrates. The samples were solution heat treated at 748K for 30 min and aged at 523K for 4 h to promote equilibrium grain boundary segregation. EELS measurements were made using a Gatan 666 PEELS spectrometer interfaced to a VG HB501 STEM operating at 100 keV. The probe size was estimated to be 1 nm FWHM. Grain boundaries with the narrowest projected width were chosen for analysis. EDX measurements of Cu segregation were made using a VG HB603 STEM.

Electronic structure studies of conducting polymers by electron energy-loss spectroscopy

1996 ◽  
Vol 54 ◽  
pp. 160-161
Author(s):  
J. Fink
Keyword(s):  
Electronic Structure ◽  
Conducting Polymers ◽  
Conjugated Polymers ◽  
Electron Acceptors ◽  
Electron Donors ◽  
Light Emitting ◽  
One Dimensional ◽  
New Class ◽  
Electrical Conductivities ◽  
Electron Energy Loss

Conducting polymers comprises a new class of materials achieving electrical conductivities which rival those of the best metals. The parent compounds (conjugated polymers) are quasi-one-dimensional semiconductors. These polymers can be doped by electron acceptors or electron donors. The prototype of these materials is polyacetylene (PA). There are various other conjugated polymers such as polyparaphenylene, polyphenylenevinylene, polypoyrrole or polythiophene. The doped systems, i.e. the conducting polymers, have intersting potential technological applications such as replacement of conventional metals in electronic shielding and antistatic equipment, rechargable batteries, and flexible light emitting diodes.Although these systems have been investigated almost 20 years, the electronic structure of the doped metallic systems is not clear and even the reason for the gap in undoped semiconducting systems is under discussion.

Contrast From Point Defects in The Infinitesimal Approximation

1980 ◽  
Vol 38 ◽  
pp. 350-351
Author(s):  
L. J. Sykes ◽  
J. J. Hren
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscope ◽  
Point Defects ◽  
Broad Class ◽  
Stacking Fault ◽  
Crystalline Solids ◽  
Dislocation Loops ◽  
Analytical Expression ◽  
Stacking Fault Tetrahedra

In electron microscope studies of crystalline solids there is a broad class of very small objects which are imaged primarily by strain contrast. Typical examples include: dislocation loops, precipitates, stacking fault tetrahedra and voids. Such objects are very difficult to identify and measure because of the sensitivity of their image to a host of variables and a similarity in their images. A number of attempts have been made to publish contrast rules to help the microscopist sort out certain subclasses of such defects. For example, Ashby and Brown (1963) described semi-quantitative rules to understand small precipitates. Eyre et al. (1979) published a catalog of images for BCC dislocation loops. Katerbau (1976) described an analytical expression to help understand contrast from small defects. There are other publications as well.

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