Film-thickness Determination in Electron Microscopy: The Electron Backscattering Method

1977 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 679-691 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Niedrig
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Film Thickness ◽  
Electron Backscattering ◽  
Thickness Determination ◽  
Backscattering Method

scholarly journals Thin Dielectric Film Thickness Determination by Advanced Transmission Electron Microscopy

2003 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 493-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.C. Diebold ◽  
B. Foran ◽  
C. Kisielowski ◽  
D.A. Muller ◽  
S.J. Pennycook ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Film Thickness ◽  
Crystal Lattice ◽  
Probe Beam ◽  
Phase Contrast ◽  
Thickness Determination ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Lattice Images ◽  
The Impact

High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) has been used as the ultimate method of thickness measurement for thin films. The appearance of phase contrast interference patterns in HR-TEM images has long been confused as the appearance of a crystal lattice by nonspecialists. Relatively easy to interpret crystal lattice images are now directly observed with the introduction of annular dark-field detectors for scanning TEM (STEM). With the recent development of reliable lattice image processing software that creates crystal structure images from phase contrast data, HR-TEM can also provide crystal lattice images. The resolution of both methods has been steadily improved reaching now into the sub-Ångstrom region. Improvements in electron lens and image analysis software are increasing the spatial resolution of both methods. Optimum resolution for STEM requires that the probe beam be highly localized. In STEM, beam localization is enhanced by selection of the correct aperture. When STEM measurement is done using a highly localized probe beam, HR-TEM and STEM measurement of the thickness of silicon oxynitride films agree within experimental error. In this article, the optimum conditions for HR-TEM and STEM measurement are discussed along with a method for repeatable film thickness determination. The impact of sample thickness is also discussed. The key result in this article is the proposal of a reproducible method for film thickness determination.

Surface Films on Zircaloy-2 Samples Cracked in Neutral Aqueous NaCl by Stress Corrosion

1973 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 46-47
Author(s):  
R.A. Ploc
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Film Thickness ◽  
Stress Corrosion ◽  
Zirconium Dioxide ◽  
Surface Film ◽  
Surface Films ◽  
Continuous Layer ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Product Film

Samples of low-nickel Zircaloy-2 (material MLI-788-see(1)), when anodically polarized in neutral 5 wt% NaCl solutions, were found to be susceptible to pitting and stress corrosion cracking. The SEM revealed that pitting of stressed samples was occurring below a 2000Å thick surface film which behaved differently from normal zirconium dioxide in that it did not display interference colours. Since the initial film thickness was approximately 65Å, attempts were made to examine the product film by transmission electron microscopy to deduce composition and how the corrosion environment could penetrate the continuous layer.

Film thickness determination with PIXE

1992 ◽  
Vol 68 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 277-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Klatt ◽  
W. Ensinger ◽  
H. Martin ◽  
G.K. Wolf ◽  
P. Oberschachtsiek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Film Thickness ◽  
Thickness Determination

Structure of vacuum-deposited Zn3P2 films

1986 ◽  
Vol 64 (10) ◽  
pp. 1369-1373 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. von Sacken ◽  
D. E. Brodie
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Film Thickness ◽  
Substrate Temperature ◽  
Columnar Structure ◽  
Major Effect ◽  
Film Structure ◽  
Electron Bombardment ◽  
Initial Growth ◽  
Transmission Electron

The structure of polycrystalline Zn3P2 films has been studied for 1- to 2-μm-thick vacuum-deposited films on glass substrates. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques have been used to obtain a detailed, quantitative analysis of the film structure. The initial growth consists of small (≤ 10 nm), randomly oriented grains. As the film thickness increases, the growth of crystallites with the {220} planes oriented approximately parallel to the substrate is favoured, and a columnar structure develops along with a highly preferred orientation. This structure has been observed directly by transmission electron microscopy of thin cross sections of the films. The size of the grains at the free surface increases with the film thickness, reaching approximately 200–300 nm when the film is 1 μm thick. The effects of substrate temperature and low-energy (0.5–2 keV) electron bombardment of the film during growth have also been studied. Neither substrate temperature nor electron bombardment appear to have a major effect on the film structure. The primary effect of electron bombardment appears to be the creation of preferred nucleation sites on the substrate.

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