scholarly journals Comprehensive Comparison of Various Techniques for the Analysis of Elemental Distributions in Thin Films

2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 728-751 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Abou-Ras ◽  
R. Caballero ◽  
C.-H. Fischer ◽  
C.A. Kaufmann ◽  
I. Lauermann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Electron Microscope ◽  
Glow Discharge ◽  
Auger Electron ◽  
Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry ◽  
Electron Backscatter Diffraction ◽  
Grazing Incidence ◽  
Elemental Distribution ◽  
Elastic Recoil ◽  
X Ray

AbstractThe present work shows results on elemental distribution analyses in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films for solar cells performed by use of wavelength-dispersive and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) in a scanning electron microscope, EDX in a transmission electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron, angle-dependent soft X-ray emission, secondary ion-mass (SIMS), time-of-flight SIMS, sputtered neutral mass, glow-discharge optical emission and glow-discharge mass, Auger electron, and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, by use of scanning Auger electron microscopy, Raman depth profiling, and Raman mapping, as well as by use of elastic recoil detection analysis, grazing-incidence X-ray and electron backscatter diffraction, and grazing-incidence X-ray fluorescence analysis. The Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films used for the present comparison were produced during the same identical deposition run and exhibit thicknesses of about 2 μm. The analysis techniques were compared with respect to their spatial and depth resolutions, measuring speeds, availabilities, and detection limits.

scholarly journals Comprehensive Comparison of Various Techniques for the Analysis of Elemental Distributions in Thin Films: Additional Techniques

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1644-1648 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Abou-Ras ◽  
Raquel Caballero ◽  
Cornelia Streeck ◽  
Burkhard Beckhoff ◽  
Jung-Hwan In ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
Fluorescence Analysis ◽  
Grazing Incidence ◽  
Elemental Distribution ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Breakdown Spectroscopy ◽  
Absorber Material ◽  
Laser Induced Breakdown ◽  
Comprehensive Comparison

AbstractIn a recent publication by Abou-Ras et al., various techniques for the analysis of elemental distribution in thin films were compared, using the example of a 2-µm thick Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin film applied as an absorber material in a solar cell. The authors of this work found that similar relative Ga distributions perpendicular to the substrate across the Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin film were determined by 18 different techniques, applied on samples from the same identical deposition run. Their spatial and depth resolutions, their measuring speeds, their availabilities, as well as their detection limits were discussed. The present work adds two further techniques to this comparison: laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and grazing-incidence X-ray fluorescence analysis.

Quantifying Multiple Crystallite Orientations and Crystal Heterogeneities in Complex Thin Film Materials

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Ogle ◽  
Daniel Powell ◽  
Eric Amerling ◽  
Detlef Matthias Smilgies ◽  
Luisa Whittaker-Brooks
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
Structural Design ◽  
Grazing Incidence ◽  
Crystallite Orientation ◽  
Miller Index ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Scattering ◽  
Orientation Distributions ◽  
Orientation Information

<p>Thin film materials have become increasingly complex in morphological and structural design. When characterizing the structure of these films, a crucial field of study is the role that crystallite orientation plays in giving rise to unique electronic properties. It is therefore important to have a comparative tool for understanding differences in crystallite orientation within a thin film, and also the ability to compare the structural orientation between different thin films. Herein, we designed a new method dubbed the mosaicity factor (MF) to quantify crystallite orientation in thin films using grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) patterns. This method for quantifying the orientation of thin films overcomes many limitations inherent in previous approaches such as noise sensitivity, the ability to compare orientation distributions along different axes, and the ability to quantify multiple crystallite orientations observed within the same Miller index. Following the presentation of MF, we proceed to discussing case studies to show the efficacy and range of application available for the use of MF. These studies show how using the MF approach yields quantitative orientation information for various materials assembled on a substrate.<b></b></p>

scholarly journals Optoelectronic properties of highly porous silver oxide thin film

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Al-Sarraj ◽  
Khaled M. Saoud ◽  
Abdelaziz Elmel ◽  
Said Mansour ◽  
Yousef Haik
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
Electron Microscope ◽  
Plasma Etching ◽  
Silver Oxide ◽  
Oxidation Time ◽  
Oxide Thin Film ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Porous Silver ◽  
Highly Porous

Abstract In this paper, we report oxidation time effect on highly porous silver oxide nanowires thin films fabricated using ultrasonic spray pyrolysis and oxygen plasma etching method. The NW’s morphological, electrical, and optical properties were investigated under different plasma etching periods and the number of deposition cycles. The increase of plasma etching and oxidation time increases the surface roughness of the Ag NWs until it fused to form a porous thin film of silver oxide. AgNWs based thin films were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, and UV–Vis spectroscopy techniques. The obtained results indicate the formation of mixed mesoporous Ag2O and AgO NW thin films. The Ag2O phase of silver oxide appears after 300 s of oxidation under the same conditions, while the optical transparency of the thin film decreases as plasma etching time increases. The sheet resistance of the final film is influenced by the oxidation time and the plasma application periodicity. Graphic abstract

scholarly journals Micro-Fabric Analyzer (MFA): A New Semiautomated ArcGIS-Based Edge Detector for Quantitative Microstructural Analysis of Rock Thin-Sections

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Visalli ◽  
Gaetano Ortolano ◽  
Gaston Godard ◽  
Rosolino Cirrincione
Keyword(s):  
Physical Properties ◽  
Electron Backscatter Diffraction ◽  
Microstructural Analysis ◽  
Image Features ◽  
Elemental Distribution ◽  
Edge Detector ◽  
Sandstone Sample ◽  
Thin Sections ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Distribution Maps

Micro-Fabric Analyzer (MFA) is a new GIS-based tool for the quantitative extrapolation of rock microstructural features that takes advantage both of the characteristics of the X-ray images and the optical image features. Most of the previously developed edge mineral grain detectors are uniquely based on the physical properties of the X-ray-, electron-, or optical-derived images; not permitting the exploitation of the specific physical properties of each image type at the same time. More advanced techniques, such as 3D microtomography, permit the reconstruction of tridimensional models of mineral fabric arrays, even though adjacent mineral grain boundaries with the same atomic density are often not detectable. Only electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) allows providing high-performing grain boundary detection that is crystallographically differentiated per mineral phase, even though it is relatively expensive and can be executed only in duly equipped microanalytical laboratories by suitably trained users. Instead, the MFA toolbox allows quantifying fabric parameters subdivided per mineral type starting from a crossed-polarizers high-resolution RGB image, which is useful for identifying the edges of the individual grains characterizing rock fabrics. Then, this image is integrated with a set of micro-X-ray maps, which are useful for the quantitative extrapolation of elemental distribution maps. In addition, all this is achieved by means of low-cost and easy-to-use equipment. We applied the tool on amphibolite, mylonitic-paragneiss, and -tonalite samples to extrapolate the particle fabric on different metamorphic rock types, as well as on the same sandstone sample used for another edge detector, which is useful for comparing the obtained results.

Evolution of Interfacial Roughness Correlations of Fe Au Films Grown on Mgo(001) Substrates

1996 ◽  
Vol 440 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. C. Chow ◽  
R. Paniago ◽  
R. Forrest ◽  
S. C. Moss ◽  
S. S. P. Parkin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Diffuse Scattering ◽  
Perfect Match ◽  
Grazing Incidence ◽  
Interface Roughness ◽  
Metallic Structures ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Dimensional Image ◽  
X Ray Scattering ◽  
Image Plate Detector

AbstractThe growth by sputtering of a series of thin films of Fe/Au on MgO(001) substrates was analyzed using Bragg and diffuse X-ray scattering. The Fe (bcc) layer grows rotated by 45° with respect to the MgO – Au(fcc) (001) epitaxial orientation, resulting in an almost perfect match between the two metallic structures. By collecting the X-ray diffuse scattering under grazing incidence using a 2-dimensional image plate detector, we mapped the reciprocal space of these films. We characterized the correlated interface roughness starting with a buffer of Fe in which only three interfaces are present. The propagation of the roughness was subsequently characterized for Fe/Au multilayers with 40 and 100 bilayers. We observe an enlargement of the surface features as a function of time, evidenced by the longer lateral cutoff length measured for thicker films.

Determining the C60 molecular arrangement in thin films by means of X-ray diffraction

2011 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 983-990 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Elschner ◽  
Alexandr A. Levin ◽  
Lutz Wilde ◽  
Jörg Grenzer ◽  
Christian Schroer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Structural Information ◽  
Grazing Incidence ◽  
Test Material ◽  
C60 Fullerene ◽  
Diffraction Measurement ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Molecular Arrangement ◽  
Diffraction Patterns

The electrical and optical properties of molecular thin films are widely used, for instance in organic electronics, and depend strongly on the molecular arrangement of the organic layers. It is shown here how atomic structural information can be obtained from molecular films without further knowledge of the single-crystal structure. C60 fullerene was chosen as a representative test material. A 250 nm C60 film was investigated by grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction and the data compared with a Bragg–Brentano X-ray diffraction measurement of the corresponding C60 powder. The diffraction patterns of both powder and film were used to calculate the pair distribution function (PDF), which allowed an investigation of the short-range order of the structures. With the help of the PDF, a structure model for the C60 molecular arrangement was determined for both C60 powder and thin film. The results agree very well with a classical whole-pattern fitting approach for the C60 diffraction patterns.

Chromium implantation in silica glass

1996 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 229-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Cattaruzza ◽  
R. Bertoncello ◽  
F. Trivillin ◽  
P. Mazzoldi ◽  
G. Battaglin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Photoelectron Spectroscopy ◽  
Silica Glass ◽  
Electron Spectroscopy ◽  
Auger Electron ◽  
Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Chromium Silicide ◽  
Secondary Ion

Silica glass was implanted with chromium at the energy of 35 and 160 keV and at fluences varying from 1 × 1016 to 11 × 1016 ions cm−2. In a set of chromium-implanted samples significant amounts of carbon were detected. Samples were characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, x-ray-excited Auger electron spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry, and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. Chromium silicide and chromium oxide compounds were observed; the presence of carbon in the implanted layers induces the further formation of chromium carbide species. Thermodynamic considerations applied to the investigated systems supply indications in agreement with the experimental evidences.

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