Fabrication of ferroelectric thin film specimen for in-situ electrical biasing TEM studies by FIB

AbstractThe evolution of domain structure with external stress in a free-standing PbTiO3 ferroelectric thin film of ˜100nm in thickness is observed by in-situ TEM technique. The thin film is composed of granular grains of ˜100nm in diameter, most of them appear to be single-domained whereas others are multi-domained showing domains of different sizes(5˜20nm). For some single-domained grains new domains appear during tension. For multi-domained grains, rearrangement of domain walls and coarsening of domains have been observed during tension. In many cases the domain walls disappear under high stress, i.e., a multi-domained grain changes into a single-domained grain. However, it is also observed that a large portion of single-domained grains appear not to respond to external stress. The dynamic behavior of domain walls in very thin ferroelectric thin films may help to understand the switching of these very thin films.

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Clean Electron Microscope Substrate Films Used for Micrometeorite Collection and Study

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100061847 ◽

1967 ◽

Vol 25 ◽

pp. 366-367

Author(s):

D. M. Davies ◽

R. Kemner ◽

E. F. Fullam

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Electron Microscope ◽

High Altitude ◽

Amyl Acetate ◽

Temperature Variations ◽

Film Forming ◽

Film Specimen ◽

Particulate Contaminants

All serious electron microscopists at one time or another have been concerned with the cleanliness and freedom from artifacts of thin film specimen support substrates. This is particularly important where there are relatively few particles of a sample to be found for study, as in the case of micrometeorite collections. For the deposition of such celestial garbage through the use of balloons, rockets, and aircraft, the thin film substrates must have not only all the attributes necessary for use in the electron microscope, but also be able to withstand rather wide temperature variations at high altitude, vibration and shock inherent in the collection vehicle's operation and occasionally an unscheduled violent landing.Nitrocellulose has been selected as a film forming material that meets these requirements yet lends itself to a relatively simple clean-up procedure to remove particulate contaminants. A 1% nitrocellulose solution is prepared by dissolving “Parlodion” in redistilled amyl acetate from which all moisture has been removed.

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The use of transmission and analytical electron microscopy in studying reactions and phase transformations in thin film

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100150046 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 51 ◽

pp. 842-843

Author(s):

K. Barmak

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Thin Films ◽

Phase Transformations ◽

Analytical Electron Microscopy ◽

Ex Situ ◽

Multilayer Thin Films ◽

Absolute Concentration ◽

Analytical Electron ◽

Deposition Step

Generally, processing of thin films involves several annealing steps in addition to the deposition step. During the annealing steps, diffusion, transformations and reactions take place. In this paper, examples of the use of TEM and AEM for ex situ and in situ studies of reactions and phase transformations in thin films will be presented.The ex situ studies were carried out on Nb/Al multilayer thin films annealed to different stages of reaction. Figure 1 shows a multilayer with dNb = 383 and dAl = 117 nm annealed at 750°C for 4 hours. As can be seen in the micrograph, there are four phases, Nb/Nb3-xAl/Nb2-xAl/NbAl3, present in the film at this stage of the reaction. The composition of each of the four regions marked 1-4 was obtained by EDX analysis. The absolute concentration in each region could not be determined due to the lack of thickness and geometry parameters that were required to make the necessary absorption and fluorescence corrections.

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Growth kinetics of Al2Cu in an Al-1.5Cu thin film by in Situ TEM

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100151696 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 51 ◽

pp. 1172-1173

Author(s):

M. Park ◽

S.J. Krause ◽

S.R. Wilson

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

In Situ Tem ◽

Collector Plate ◽

Transmission Electron ◽

Device Processing ◽

Corrosion Susceptibility ◽

Precipitation Phenomena ◽

Semiconductor Chips ◽

Kinetics Of

Cu alloying in Al interconnection lines on semiconductor chips improves their resistance to electromigration and hillock growth. Excess Cu in Al can result in the formation of Cu-rich Al2Cu (θ) precipitates. These precipitates can significantly increase corrosion susceptibility due to the galvanic action between the θ-phase and the adjacent Cu-depleted matrix. The size and distribution of the θ-phase are also closely related to the film susceptibility to electromigration voiding. Thus, an important issue is the precipitation phenomena which occur during thermal device processing steps. In bulk alloys, it was found that the θ precipitates can grow via the grain boundary “collector plate mechanism” at rates far greater than allowed by volume diffusion. In a thin film, however, one might expect that the growth rate of a θ precipitate might be altered by interfacial diffusion. In this work, we report on the growth (lengthening) kinetics of the θ-phase in Al-Cu thin films as examined by in-situ isothermal aging in transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

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In-situ investigation by X-ray diffraction and wafer curvature of phase formation and stress evolution during metal thin film – silicon reactions

Zeitschrift für Kristallographie Supplements ◽

10.1524/zksu.2007.2007.suppl_26.81 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 2007 (suppl_26) ◽

pp. 81-89

Author(s):

O. Thomas

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Phase Formation ◽

Stress Evolution ◽

X Ray Diffraction ◽

X Ray ◽

Wafer Curvature ◽

Thin Film Silicon ◽

Metal Thin Film ◽

In Situ Investigation

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“In-Situ Raman Spectroscopy of Electronic Processes in Fullerene Thin Films

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-725-p10.8 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 725 ◽

Author(s):

S.B. Phelan ◽

B.S. O'Connell ◽

G. Farrell ◽

G. Chambers ◽

H.J. Byrne

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Indium Tin Oxide ◽

Low Temperatures ◽

In Situ Raman Spectroscopy ◽

State Reduction ◽

In Situ Raman ◽

Linear Behavior ◽

Current Voltage ◽

Solid State Reduction

AbstractThe current voltage characteristics of C60 thin film sandwich structures fabricated by vacuum deposition on indium tin oxide (ITO) with an aluminium top electrode are presented and discussed. A strongly non-linear behavior and a sharp increase in the device conductivity was observed at relatively low voltages (∼2V), at both room and low temperatures (20K). At room temperature the system is seen to collapse, and in situ Raman measurements indicate a solid state reduction of the fullerene thin film to form a polymeric state. The high conductivity state was seen to be stable at elevated voltages and low temperatures. This state is seen to be reversible with the application of high voltages. At these high voltages the C60 film was seen to sporadically emit white light at randomly localized points analogous to the much documented Electroluminescence in single crystals.

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Effect of Forming Gas on Properties of SrBi2Ta2O9 Ferroelectric Thin Film and Powder

Journal of Inorganic Materials ◽

10.3724/sp.j.1077.2009.00737 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 24 (4) ◽

pp. 737-740 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Dong-Sheng WANG ◽

Tao YU ◽

An HU ◽

Di WU ◽

Ai-Dong LI ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Ferroelectric Thin Film

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Reordering and Crystallization of Silicon Carbide Amorphized by Neutron Irradiation

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-650-r5.1 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 650 ◽

Author(s):

Lance L. Snead ◽

Martin Balden

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Silicon Carbide ◽

Crystallization Kinetics ◽

Neutron Irradiation ◽

Onset Temperature ◽

Kinetics Of Crystallization ◽

Crystallization Onset Temperature ◽

Crystallization Onset ◽

Kinetics Of

ABSTRACTDensification and crystallization kinetics of bulk SiC amorphized by neutron irradiation is studied. The temperature of crystallization onset of this highly pure, fully amorphous bulk SiC was found to be between 875-885°C and crystallization is nearly complete by 950°C. In-situ TEM imaging confirms the onset of crystallization, though thin-film effects apparently alter the kinetics of crystallization above this temperature. It requires >1125°C for complete crystallization of the TEM foil. Annealing at temperatures between the irradiation and crystallization onset temperature is seen to cause significant densification attributed to a relaxation, or reordering, of the as-amorphized structure.

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