Highly textured nanostructure of pulsed laser deposited IrO2 thin films as investigated by transmission electron microscopy

2001 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 2336-2342 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. Serventi ◽  
M. A. El Khakani ◽  
R. G. Saint-Jacques ◽  
D. G. Rickerby
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Pulsed Laser ◽  
Columnar Structure ◽  
Dark Field ◽  
Bragg Diffraction ◽  
Bulk Single Crystal ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Lattice Resolution

Highly conductive iridium dioxide (IrO2) thin films have been deposited onto in situ oxidized Si(100) substrates by means of a reactive pulsed laser deposition (PLD) process. The polycrystalline IrO2 films were obtained by ablating a metal iridium target under an optimal oxygen background pressure of 200 mtorr and at different substrate deposition temperatures (Td ) ranging from 350 to 550 °C. Conventional and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) techniques were used to investigate the micro- and nanostructural changes of the PLD IrO2 films as a function of their deposition temperatures. The microstructure and the morphology of the PLD IrO2 films was found to change drastically from an irregular and loosely packed columnar structure at Td = 300 °C to a uniform and densely packed columnar structure for higher Td (≥350 °C). For IrO2 films deposited in the 350 ≤ Td ≤ 550 °C range, HRTEM have revealed the presence of highly textured arrangements of almost spherical IrO2 nanograins (of 3–5 nm diameter, regardless of Td) in the columns (of which diameter was found to increase from 85 ± 15 to 180 ± 20 nm as Td increases from 350 to 550 °C). Lattice resolution and dark-field imaging have pointed out the presence of large IrO2 crystallites made of many similarly oriented nanograins (i.e., under the same Bragg diffraction conditions). Moreover, a high continuity of the lattice planes across the entire crystallite was clearly observed. This latter aspect together with the highly textured nanostructure of the IrO2 films correlate well with their high conductivity (42 ± 6 μω cm for Td ≥ 400), which was found to be comparable with that of bulk single-crystal IrO2.

Characterization of pulsed laser deposited MoS2 by transmission electron microscopy

1993 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 2933-2941 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.D. Walek ◽  
M.S. Donley ◽  
J.S. Zabinski ◽  
V.J. Dyhouse
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Analytical Electron Microscopy ◽  
Pulsed Laser ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Aerospace Applications ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Novel Method

Molybdenum disulfide is a technologically important solid phase lubricant for vacuum and aerospace applications. Pulsed laser deposition of MoS2 is a novel method for producing fully dense, stoichiometric thin films and is a promising technique for controlling the crystallographic orientation of the films. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of self-supporting thin films and cross-sectional TEM samples was used to study the crystallography and microstructure of pulsed laser deposited films of MoS2. Films deposited at room temperature were found to be amorphous. Films deposited at 300 °C were nanocrystalline and had the basal planes oriented predominately parallel to the substrate within the first 12–15 nm of the substrate with an abrupt upturn into a perpendicular (edge) orientation farther from the substrate. Spherically shaped particles incorporated in the films from the PLD process were found to be single crystalline, randomly oriented, and less than about 0.1 μm in diameter. A few of these particles, observed in cross section, had flattened bottoms, indicating that they were molten when they arrived at the surface of the growing film. Analytical electron microscopy (AEM) was used to study the chemistry of the films. The x-ray microanalysis results showed that the films have the stoichiometry of cleaved single crystal MoS2 standards.

(111)p microtwinning in SrRuO3 thin films on (001)p LaAlO3

2009 ◽  
Vol 65 (6) ◽  
pp. 694-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Han ◽  
I. M. Reaney ◽  
D. S. Tinberg ◽  
S. Trolier-McKinstry
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Orientation Relationship ◽  
Room Temperature ◽  
Pulsed Laser ◽  
Zone Axis ◽  
Laser Deposition ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Diffraction Patterns

SrRuO3 (SRO) thin films grown on (001)p (p = pseudocubic) oriented LaAlO3 (LAO) by pulsed laser deposition have been characterized using transmission electron microscopy. Observations along the 〈100〉p directions suggests that although the SRO layer maintains a pseudocube-to-pseudocube orientation relationship with the underlying LAO substrate, it has a ferroelastic domain structure associated with a transformation on cooling to room temperature to an orthorhombic Pbnm phase (a − a − c + Glazer tilt system). In addition, extra diffraction spots located at ±1/6(ooo)p and ±1/3(ooo)p (where `o' indicates an index with an odd number) positions were obtained in 〈110〉p zone-axis diffraction patterns. These were attributed to the existence of high-density twins on {111}p pseudocubic planes within the SrRuO3 films rather than to more conventional mechanisms for the generation of superstructure reflections.

Antiphase boundaries and rotation domains in In2O3(001) films grown on yttria-stabilized zirconia (001)

2014 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 443-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan-Ling Hu ◽  
Eric Rind ◽  
James S. Speck
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Dark Field ◽  
Yttria Stabilized Zirconia ◽  
Stabilized Zirconia ◽  
Space Group ◽  
Sensor Material ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Scanning Transmission

In2O3is important because it has been widely used as a transparent contact material and an active gas sensor material. To understand and utilize its intrinsic physics as a semiconductor, it is necessary to have In2O3with a high material quality. In this article, single-crystalline (001)-oriented In2O3thin films were grown on yttria-stabilized zirconia (001) substrate, and a group theory analysis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) experiments were conducted to investigate the defects within the In2O3film. Owing to the reduced symmetry of the bixbyite structure (space group Ia{\overline 3}) in comparison with the fluorite template (space group Fm {\overline 3}m), the formation of antiphase domains and 90° rotation domains in the In2O3thin films is anticipated. This prediction is confirmed experimentally by TEM and high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy images. The size of the enclosed domains ranges from 50 to 300 nm, and the major domain boundaries are along the (110), (1{\overline 1}0), (010) and (100) planes. The rotation domains are related by a fourfold rotation operation along the 〈001〉 directions, which will cause the permutation of the axes of the bixbyite structure.

A Simple and Effective Route to Annihilate Defects in Nanocrystalline SnO2 Thin Films Prepared by Pulsed Laser Deposition

2007 ◽  
Vol 1026 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiwen Chen ◽  
C. M. L. Wu ◽  
C. H. Shek ◽  
J. K. L. Lai ◽  
Z. Jiao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Pulsed Laser Deposition ◽  
Gas Sensors ◽  
Pulsed Laser ◽  
Laser Deposition ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Sno2 Thin Films

AbstractThe microstructural defects of nanocrystalline SnO2 thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition have been investigated using transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Defects inside nanocrystalline SnO2 thin films could be significantly reduced by annealing the SnO2 thin films at 300 °C for 2 h. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy showed that stacking faults and twins were annihilated upon annealing. In particular, the edges of the SnO2 nanoparticles demonstrated perfect lattices free of defects after annealing. Raman spectra also confirmed that annealing the specimen was almost defect-free. By using thermal annealing, defect-free nanocrystalline SnO2 thin films can be prepared in a simple and practical way, which holds promise for applications as transparent electrodes and solid-state gas sensors.

Crystalline Morphologies of Polychloroprene Thin Films as Revealed by Transmission Electron Microscopy Observation

1999 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 1645-1652 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshiki Shimizu ◽  
Masaki Tsuji ◽  
Shinzo Kohjiya
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Dark Field ◽  
Bright Field Image ◽  
Dark Field Imaging ◽  
Selected Area Electron Diffraction ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Lamellar Crystals ◽  
Field Imaging

Thin films of polychloroprene (CR; Neoprene-W) were made by casting its solution (2.0 wt%) in benzene onto the water surface, and some of them were stretched by a desired amount of strain (ε) in their “molten” state. The specimens thus prepared were then crystallized and examined by transmission electron microscopy. Morphological observations in bright- and dark-field imaging modes and selected-area electron diffraction analysis revealed directly that filamentous entities observed in the bright-field image are the edge-on lamellar crystals. It was, therefore, confirmed that the morphological results obtained from the thin specimens of CR without any electron staining are basically in accord with those reported so far for the OsO4-stained thin films of CR.

Synthesis and Characterization of Metal-Ceramic Thin Film Nanocomposites With Improved Mechanical Properties

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Kumar ◽  
N. Sudhir ◽  
S. Yarmolenko ◽  
Q. Wei ◽  
J. Sankar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Pulsed Laser Deposition ◽  
Pulsed Laser ◽  
Laser Deposition ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Thin Film Composites ◽  
Film Composites

Thin films composite materials consisting of metallic nanocrystals embedded in an insulator host have been synthesized using alternating-target pulsed laser deposition of Fe/Ni and Al2O3. The evaluation of structural quality of the thin film composites using high resolution transmission electron microscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy with atomic number contrast has revealed the formation of a biphase system with thermodynamically driven segregation of Ni and alumina during pulsed laser deposition. The best hardness values of the thin film composites, measured using nanoindentation techniques, was found to 20–30% larger than pure alumina films fabricated under identical conditions. The improvement in values of hardness of Al2O3 thin films by embedding metal nanocrystals is related to the evolution of a microstructure which efficiently hinders the manipulation and movement of dislocation and the growth of microcracks, which in turn, is achieved by grain boundary hardening.

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