Technique for site-specific plan-view transmission electron microscopy of nanostructural electronic devices

Author(s):  
N. D. Bassim ◽  
M. E. Twigg
2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 1410-1418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel K. Schreiber ◽  
Praneet Adusumilli ◽  
Eric R. Hemesath ◽  
David N. Seidman ◽  
Amanda K. Petford-Long ◽  
...  

AbstractA sample preparation method is described for enabling direct correlation of site-specific plan-view and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis of individual nanostructures by employing a dual-beam focused-ion beam (FIB) microscope. This technique is demonstrated using Si nanowires dispersed on a TEM sample support (lacey carbon or Si-nitride). Individual nanowires are first imaged in the plan-view orientation to identify a region of interest; in this case, impurity atoms distributed at crystalline defects that require further investigation in the cross-sectional orientation. Subsequently, the region of interest is capped with a series of ex situ and in situ deposited layers to protect the nanowire and facilitate site-specific lift-out and cross-sectioning using a dual-beam FIB microscope. The lift-out specimen is thinned to electron transparency with site-specific positioning to within ∼200 nm of a target position along the length of the nanowire. Using the described technique, it is possible to produce correlated plan-view and cross-sectional view lattice-resolved TEM images that enable a quasi-3D analysis of crystalline defect structures in a specific nanowire. While the current study is focused on nanowires, the procedure described herein is general for any electron-transparent sample and is broadly applicable for many nanostructures, such as nanowires, nanoparticles, patterned thin films, and devices.


2009 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 558-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herman Carlo Floresca ◽  
Jangbae Jeon ◽  
Jinguo G. Wang ◽  
Moon J. Kim

AbstractWe have developed the focused ion beam (FIB) fold-out technique, for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) sample preparation in which there is no fine polishing or dimpling, thus saving turnaround time. It does not require a nanomanipulator yet is still site specific. The sample wafer is cut to shape, polished down, and then placed in a FIB system. A tab containing the area of interest is created by ion milling and then “folded out” from the bulk sample. This method also allows a plan-view of the sample by removing material below the wafer's surface film or device near the polished edge. In the final step, the sample is thinned to electron transparency, ready to be analyzed in the TEM. With both a cross section and plan-view, our technique gives microscopists a powerful tool in analyzing multiple zone axes in one TEM session. The nature of the polished sample edge also includes the ability to sample many areas, allowing the user to examine a very large device or sample. More importantly, this technique could make multiple site-specific e-beam transparent specimens in one polished sample, which is difficult to do when prepared by other methods.


2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 662-669 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Simões ◽  
F. Viana ◽  
A.S. Ramos ◽  
M.T. Vieira ◽  
M.F. Vieira

AbstractReactive multilayer thin films that undergo highly exothermic reactions are attractive choices for applications in ignition, propulsion, and joining systems. Ni/Al reactive multilayer thin films were deposited by dc magnetron sputtering with a period of 14 nm. The microstructure of the as-deposited and heat-treated Ni/Al multilayers was studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) in plan view and in cross section. The cross-section samples for TEM and STEM were prepared by focused ion beam lift-out technique. TEM analysis indicates that the as-deposited samples were composed of Ni and Al. High-resolution TEM images reveal the presence of NiAl in small localized regions. Microstructural characterization shows that heat treating at 450 and 700°C transforms the Ni/Al multilayered structure into equiaxed NiAl fine grains.


1992 ◽  
Vol 281 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Shih ◽  
K. H. Jung ◽  
D. L. Kwong

ABSTRACTWe have developed a new, minimal damage approach for examination of luminescent porous Si layers (PSLs) by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In this approach, chemically etched PSLs are fabricated after conventional plan-view TEM sample preparation. A diffraction pattern consisting of a diffuse center spot, characteristic of amorphous material, is primarily observed. However, crystalline, microcrystalline, and amorphous regions could all be observed in selected areas. A crystalline mesh structure could be observed in some of the thin areas near the pinhole. The microcrystallite sizes were 15–150 Å and decreased in size when located further from the pinhole.


1993 ◽  
Vol 311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Zhang ◽  
Douglas G. Ivey

ABSTRACTSilicide formation through deposition of Ni onto hot Si substrates has been investigated. Ni was deposited onto <100> oriented Si wafers, which were heated up to 300°C, by e-beam evaporation under a vacuum of <2x10-6 Torr. The deposition rates were varied from 0.1 nm/s to 6 nm/s. The samples were then examined by both cross sectional and plan view transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and electron diffraction. The experimental results are discussed in terms of a new kinetic model.


2004 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 134-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masaki Takeguchi ◽  
Kazutaka Mitsuishi ◽  
Miyoko Tanaka ◽  
Kazuo Furuya

About 1 monolayer of palladium was deposited onto a silicon (111) 7 × 7 surface at a temperature of about 550 K inside an ultrahigh vacuum transmission electron microscope, resulting in formation of Pd2Si nanoislands and a 1 × 1 surface layer. Pd clusters created from an excess of Pd atoms on the 1 × 1 surface layer were directly observed byin situplan view high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. When an objective aperture was introduced so that electron diffractions less than 0.20 nm were filtered out, the lattice structure of the 1 × 1 surface with 0.33 nm spacing and the Pd clusters with a trimer shape were visualized. It was found that image contrast of the 1 × 1 lattice on the specific height terraces disappeared, and thereby an atomic structure of the Pd clusters was clearly observed. The appearance and disappearance of the 1 × 1 lattice was explained by the effect of the kinematical diffraction. It was identified that a Pd cluster was composed of three Pd atoms without a centered Si atom, which is consistent with the model proposed previously. The feature of the Pd clusters stuck at the surface step was also described.


2017 ◽  
Vol 897 ◽  
pp. 173-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takahiro Sato ◽  
Yuya Suzuki ◽  
Hiroyuki Ito ◽  
Toshiyuki Isshiki ◽  
Kuniyasu Nakamura

The recently developed multi directional scanning transmission electron microscopy (MD-STEM) technique has been applied to exactly determine the Burgers vector (b) and dislocation vector (u) of a threading mixed dislocation in a silicon carbide (SiC) as-epitaxial wafer. This technique utilizes repeated focused ion beam (FIB) milling and STEM observation of the same dislocation from three orthogonal directions (cross-section, plan-view, cross-section). Cross section STEM observation in the [1-100] viewing direction showed that the burgers vector have a and c components. Subsequent plan view STEM observation in the [000-1] direction indicated that the b=[u -2uuw] (u≠0 and w≠0). Final cross section STEM observation in the [11-20] direction confirmed that the dislocation was an extended dislocation, with the Burgers vector experimentally found to be b = [1-210]a/3 + [0001]c which decomposes into two partial dislocations of bp1 = [0-110]a/3 + [0001]c/2 and bp2 = [1-100]a/3 + [0001]c/2. The dislocation vector u is [-12-10]a/3 + [0001]c. This technique is an effective method to analyze the dislocation characteristics of power electronics devices.


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