Highly dense and compositionally inhomogeneous nano-agglomerates in an epitaxial La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 thin film grown on (100)SrTiO3

2005 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 571-579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y.L. Zhu ◽  
X.L. Ma ◽  
D.X. Li ◽  
H.B. Lu ◽  
Z.H. Chen ◽  
...  

Microstructures in the thin film of La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 grown on (100) SrTiO3 by laser molecular beam epitaxy were characterized by transmission electron microscopy. Highly dense and dimensionally uniform nano-agglomerates were found embedded in thin film of La0.8Sr0.2MnO3. High-angle angular dark-field imaging, elemental mapping, and compositional analysis revealed that the nano-agglomerates are rich in manganese and poor in lanthanum. The ratio of Mn/La in the nano-agglomerates fluctuates. A salient feature of this compositional fluctuation within the nanoscale isthe formation of cubic MnO phase, which appears as the core of the nano-agglomerates.The La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 film is domain-oriented and two domains were identified on the basis of orthorhombic lattice. The orientation relationships between La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 domains and MnO were determined as [010]LSMO,1//[001]MnO and (100)LSMO,1//(110)MnO; [101]LSMO,2//[001]MnO and (010)LSMO,2//(100)MnO. The domain structuresand compositional inhomogeneities within nanoscale result in a textured microstructure, which is one of the most important parameters for tuning electronic properties in colossal magnetoresistance oxides.

1999 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 420-427 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Kaiser ◽  
A. Chuvilin ◽  
P.D. Brown ◽  
W. Richter

Abstract: High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images of the [1–10] zone of cubic SiC layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) often reveal regions of material exhibiting an unusual threefold periodicity. The same contrast was found in earlier works of Jepps and Page, who attributed this contrast in HRTEM images of polycrystalline SiC to the 9R-SiC polytype. In this report we demonstrate by HRTEM image simulations that the model of the 9R polytype and an alternative twinning model can fit qualitatively the experimental HRTEM images. However, by comparing the fast Fourier transform (FFT) patterns of the experiments and the simulations, as well as by using dark-field imaging, we show unambiguously that only the model of overlapping twinned 3C-SiC crystals fully agrees with the experiments.


2009 ◽  
Vol 15 (S2) ◽  
pp. 1082-1083
Author(s):  
D Masiel ◽  
B Reed ◽  
T LaGrange ◽  
ND Browning

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2009 in Richmond, Virginia, USA, July 26 – July 30, 2009


1996 ◽  
Vol 449 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. T. Romano ◽  
J.E. Northrup

ABSTRACTInversion domain boundaries (IDBs) in GaN grown on sapphire (0001) were studied by a combination of high resolution transmission electron microscopy, multiple dark field imaging, and convergent beam diffraction. Films grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), metalorganic vapor deposition (MOCVD), and hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) were investigated and all found to contain IDBs. Inversion domains (IDs) that extended from the surface to the interface were found to be columnar with facets on the {10–10} and {11–20} planes. Other domains ended within the film that formed IDBs on the (0001) and {1–102} planes. The domains were found to grow in clusters and connect at points along the boundary.


1981 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. J. Chen ◽  
J. W. Mayer ◽  
K. N. Tu

Transmission electron microscopy has been applied to study the formation and structure of epitaxial NiSi2 and CoSi2 thin films on silicon. Bright field and dark field imaging reveal the interface planes of faceted silicides through the strain contrast, analogous to the contrast of the precipitate-matrix interface of coherent or semicoherent precipitates. Superlattice dark field imaging depicts the distribution of twin-related and epitaxial silicides in these systems. { 111 } interfaces were found to be more prominent than {001} interfaces. Twin-related silicides were observed to cover more area on the substrate silicon than epitaxial silicides did.In situ annealing of nickel and cobalt thin films on silicon provides a unique means of investigation of the transformation from polycrystalline to epitaxial silicides. The NiSi2 transformation was found to be very rapid at 820°C, whereas the CoSi2 transformation appeared to be very sluggish. Furnace annealing confirmed that only a small fraction of CoSi2 transforms to epitaxial CoSi2 after annealing at 850°C for 4h.Diffraction contrast analysis has been applied to interfacial dislocations of epitaxial NiSi2/Si and CoSi2/Si systems. The dislocations were found to be of edge type with ⅙<112> and ½<110> Burgers' vectors. The average spacings are close to their respective theoretically predicted values.


1987 ◽  
Vol 103 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. M. Stobbs

ABSTRACTT.E.M. methods are described for the quantitative characterisation of the compositional and structural changes at interfaces and in homo- and hetero-phase multilayer structures. Many of the newer approaches described including the Fresnel and Centre Stop Dark Field Imaging Methods were developed specifically for such characterisations. The range of applications of each of the techniques is assessed as is the importance of delineating the limiting effects of inelastic and inelastic/elastic multiple scattering.


2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 759-765 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanmay Das ◽  
Somnath Bhattacharyya

AbstractStructure and chemistry across the rare earth oxide-Ge interfaces of a Gd2O3-Ge-Gd2O3 heterostructure grown on p-Si (111) substrate using encapsulated solid phase epitaxy method have been studied at nanoscale using various transmission electron microscopy methods. The structure across both the interfaces was investigated using reconstructed phase and amplitude at exit plane. Chemistry across the interfaces was explored using elemental mapping, high-angle annular dark-field imaging, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. Results demonstrate the structural and chemical abruptness of both the interfaces, which is most essential to maintain the desired quantum barrier structure.


MRS Bulletin ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 27-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.M. Gibson

The transmission electron microscope (TEM) has had a major impact on materials science in the last five decades, despite the fact that it is necessary to prepare thin samples in order to use the technique. The primary reason for this effectiveness is the ability to access both real space and diffraction data in the same instrument, and to filter in one and observe the effect in the other. This is possible because of the wave nature of electrons and the existence of effective magnetic lenses for focusing. Abbe showed that any lens has the ability to Fourier transform its input wavefield in its focal plane, and to provide a second Fourier transform in the image plane. This is schematically shown in Figure 1. A crystalline object will diffract only in certain directions, with Bragg angles (θB) depending on the inverse of the interplanar spacing. The diffraction pattern is a series of spots in the Fourier, or focal, plane of the lens. A filter placed in the focal plane serves to limit the resolution by limiting the bandwidth of the image, but it also can serve to select certain parts of the Fourier spectrum in the image. The simplest examples of this, as used in optical microscopy, are bright-field and dark-field imaging. In the former the un-scattered beam is allowed to reach the image, in the latter it is not.


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