Studies of Morphological Instability and Dislocation Formation in Heteroepitaxial Si1−xGex Thin Films Via Controlled Annealing Experiments

1996 ◽  
Vol 440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cengiz S. Ozkan ◽  
William D. Nix ◽  
Huajian Gao
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Defect Formation ◽  
Lattice Mismatch ◽  
Hydrogen Atmosphere ◽  
Surface Roughening ◽  
Silicon Substrates ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Annealing Experiments

AbstractHeteroepitaxial Si1−x Gex thin films deposited on silicon substrates exhibit surface roughening via surface diffusion under the effect of a compressive stress which is caused by a lattice mismatch. In these films, surface roughening takes place in the form of ridges aligned along either <100> or <110> directions depending on the film thickness and composition. In this paper, we compare the relaxation behaviour of capped and uncapped heteroepitaxial Si1−xGex thin films containing 22% Ge, with surface roughening being inhibited in films with a capping layer. Films with 50 nm thickness were deposited on bare silicon substrates in a LPCVD reactor. Annealing experiments were conducted in a Hydrogen atmosphere in the reactor chamber. Transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy have been used to study the surface morphology and microstructure of these films. XRD measurements were conducted to determine the amount of relaxation in these films. In-situ transmission electron microscopy/annealing experiments have been performed on uncapped Si1−x Gex/Si structures to study the dynamics of surface roughening and defect formation in a vacuum ambient. Finally, we compare surface morphologies and defects in samples subjected to annealing in vacuum and H2 ambients.

Anisotropic Behaviour of Surface Roughening in Lattice Mismatched Heteroepitaxial Thin Films

1996 ◽  
Vol 436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cengiz S. Ozkan ◽  
William D. Nix ◽  
Huajian Gao
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Lattice Mismatch ◽  
Surface Roughening ◽  
Silicon Substrates ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Atomic Force ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Annealing Experiments

AbstractHeteroepitaxial Si1-xGex. thin films deposited on silicon substrates exhibit surface roughening via surface diffusion under the effect of a compressive stress which is caused by a lattice mismatch. In these films, surface roughening can take place in the form of ridges which can be aligned along <100> or <110> directions, depending on the film thickness. In this paper, we investigate this anisotropic dependence of surface roughening and present an analysis of it. We have studied the surface roughening behaviour of 18% Ge and 22% Ge thin films subjected to controlled annealing experiments. Transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy have been used to study the morphology and microstructure of the surface ridges and the dislocations that form during annealing.

Microstructure of SrTiO3 Thin Films as Single Layer and Incorporated in Yba2Cu3O7-x/SrTiO3 Multilayers

1995 ◽  
Vol 401 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Ryen ◽  
E. Olssoni ◽  
L. D. Madsen ◽  
C. N. L. Johnson ◽  
X. Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Lattice Mismatch ◽  
Single Layer ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Tilt Boundaries ◽  
Interfacial Dislocations ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Film Substrate

AbstractEpitaxial single layer (001) SrTiO3 films and an epitaxial Yba2Cu3O7-x/SrTiO3 multilayer were dc and rf sputtered on (110)rhombohedral LaAIO3 substrates. The microstructure of the films was characterised using transmission electron microscopy. The single layer SrTiO3 films exhibited different columnar morphologies. The column boundaries were due to the lattice mismatch between film and substrate. The boundaries were associated with interfacial dislocations at the film/substrate interface, where the dislocations relaxed the strain in the a, b plane. The columns consisted of individual subgrains. These subgrains were misoriented with respect to each other, with different in-plane orientations and different tilts of the (001) planes. The subgrain boundaries were antiphase or tilt boundaries.The individual layers of the Yba2Cu3O7-x/SrTiO3 multilayer were relatively uniform. A distortion of the SrTiO3 unit cell of 0.9% in the ‘001’ direction and a Sr/Ti ratio of 0.62±0.04 was observed, both in correspondence with the single layer SrTiO3 films. Areas with different tilt of the (001)-planes were also present, within each individual SrTiO3 layer.

Identification of the Failure Mechanism of a Thin Film on a Thick Substrate by Means of Synchrotron X-Ray Topography Combined with Transmission Electron Microscopy

1987 ◽  
Vol 108 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Goyal ◽  
W. Ng ◽  
A. H. King ◽  
J. C. Bilello
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Film Thickness ◽  
Film Stress ◽  
Silicon Substrates ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Thick Substrate

ABSTRACTWe have used synchrotron x-ray topographic techniques to study the stresses in thin films formed upon silicon substrates either by evaporation or sputtering. It is found that the film stress generally decreases with increasing film thickness for evaporated films, but film delamination occurs at a well defined film thickness. Transmission electron microscope studies have been performed on the same specimens in order to reveal what mechanisms are involved with the delamination of the films.

Dislocations in SrTiO3 thin films grown on LaAlO3 substrates

2002 ◽  
Vol 17 (12) ◽  
pp. 3117-3126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. L. Qin ◽  
C. L. Jia ◽  
K. Urban ◽  
J. H. Hao ◽  
X. X. Xi
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Lattice Mismatch ◽  
Orthogonal Arrays ◽  
Threading Dislocations ◽  
Misfit Dislocations ◽  
Burgers Vector ◽  
Transmission Electron

The dislocation configurations in SrTiO3 thin films grown epitaxially on LaAlO3 (100) substrates were studied by conventional and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Misfit dislocations had, in most cases, a Burgers vector a〈100〉 and line directions of 〈100〉 These dislocations constitute orthogonal arrays of parallel dislocations at the interface, relieving the lattice mismatch between SrTiO3 and LaAlO3. Threading dislocations were found to be the major defects in the films. Two types of threading dislocations with the Burgers vectors a〈100〉?and a〈100〉?were identified. The relations of these threading dislocations with the misfit dislocations were investigated and are discussed in this paper.

Microstructure and Current Transport Properties of YBa2Cu3O7-x/(Ba0.05, Sr0.95)TiO3 Multiple-Layer Thin Films

2003 ◽  
Vol 795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Luo ◽  
R. A. Hughes ◽  
J. S. Preston ◽  
G. A. Botton
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Electrical Properties ◽  
Lattice Mismatch ◽  
Single Layer ◽  
Nanocomposite Films ◽  
Mismatch Strain ◽  
Multiple Layer ◽  
Transmission Electron

ABSTRACTYBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) films grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on (100) LaAlO3 (LAO) substrates show a strong thickness dependence on the electrical properties. For example, for films in excess of 0.3 μm, the critical current density decreases with increasing thickness. In contrast, nano-composite films consisting of a series of multiple layers of YBa2Cu3O7-x and (Ba0.05, Sr0.95)TiO3 (BSTO) thin films having a total thickness of 5 μm show improved electrical properties. In order to understand this phenomenon, a detailed microstructural characterization has been undertaken. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations show that cracks, stacking faults, c-║ crystals and secondary phase precipitates are present on the single-layer films, while a high-quality microstructure is observed for the nanocomposite multiple-layer films although defects at YBCO/BSTO interface are still present. In addition, nanocomposite films have a reduced surface roughness. In this complex microstructure, the YBCO/BSTO interfaces and the lattice mismatch strain play a crucial role in controlling the nature of the defects and stability of phases. In order to understand the role of the BSTO layer has on the microstructure, the interfacial mismatch strain and defects are analyzed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) in combination with the Moiré fringe technique.

scholarly journals Transmission electron microscopy investigation of interfacial reactions between SrFeO3 thin films and silicon substrates

2007 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-88
Author(s):  
Dashan Wang ◽  
James J. Tunney ◽  
Xiaomei Du ◽  
Michael L. Post ◽  
Raynald Gauvin
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Room Temperature ◽  
Interfacial Reactions ◽  
Silicon Substrates ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Microscopy Investigation ◽  
Microscopy Characterization ◽  
Silicon Diffusion

The SrFeO3/SiO2/Si thin film system has been studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The thin films of SrFeO3 were grown by pulsed laser deposition onto silicon substrates with a SiO2 buffer layer at room temperature (RT) and 700 °C and subjected to annealing for various periods of time at temperature T = 700 °C. Transmission electron microscopy characterization showed that the microstructure of the film deposited at room temperature contained crystalline and amorphous layers. Silicon diffusion into SrFeO3 films occurred at the SiO2 interface for the samples deposited at 700 °C and for those films annealed at 700 °C. The silicon diffusion-induced interfacial reactions resulted in the phase transformations and the growth of complex crystalline and amorphous phases. The principal compositions of these phases were Sr(Fe,Si)12O19, SrOx and amorphous [Sr-Fe-O-Si].

Transmission Electron Microscopy studies of the vacancy ordering in YSI2-X thin films

1991 ◽  
Vol 49 ◽  
pp. 562-563
Author(s):  
F.-R. Chen ◽  
T. L. Lee ◽  
L. J. Chen
Keyword(s):  
Crystal Structure ◽  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
Diffraction Pattern ◽  
Annealing Temperature ◽  
Lattice Mismatch ◽  
Si Substrate ◽  
Metal Thin Films ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Vacancy Ordering

YSi2-x thin films were grown by depositing the yttrium metal thin films on (111)Si substrate followed by a rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at 450 to 1100°C. The x value of the YSi2-x films ranges from 0 to 0.3. The (0001) plane of the YSi2-x films have an ideal zero lattice mismatch relative to (111)Si surface lattice. The YSi2 has the hexagonal AlB2 crystal structure. The orientation relationship with Si was determined from the diffraction pattern shown in figure 1(a) to be and . The diffraction pattern in figure 1(a) was taken from a specimen annealed at 500°C for 15 second. As the annealing temperature was increased to 600°C, superlattice diffraction spots appear at position as seen in figure 1(b) which may be due to vacancy ordering in the YSi2-x films. The ordered vacancies in YSi2-x form a mesh in Si plane suggested by a LEED experiment.

Transmission Electron Microscopy studies of texture of Cr underlayer of magnetic recording hard disk

1991 ◽  
Vol 49 ◽  
pp. 580-581
Author(s):  
L. Tang ◽  
G. Thomas ◽  
M. R. Khan ◽  
S. L. Duan
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Magnetic Recording ◽  
Magnetic Thin Films ◽  
Magnetic Films ◽  
Substrate Bias ◽  
Epitaxial Relationship ◽  
Transmission Electron

Cr thin films are often used as underlayers for Co alloy magnetic thin films, such as Co1, CoNi2, and CoNiCr3, for high density longitudinal magnetic recording. It is belived that the role of the Cr underlayer is to control the growth and texture of the Co alloy magnetic thin films, and, then, to increase the in plane coercivity of the films. Although many epitaxial relationship between the Cr underlayer and the magnetic films, such as ﹛1010﹜Co/ {110﹜Cr4, ﹛2110﹜Co/ ﹛001﹜Cr5, ﹛0002﹜Co/﹛110﹜Cr6, have been suggested and appear to be related to the Cr thickness, the texture of the Cr underlayer itself is still not understood very well. In this study, the texture of a 2000 Å thick Cr underlayer on Nip/Al substrate for thin films of (Co75Ni25)1-xTix dc-sputtered with - 200 V substrate bias is investigated by electron microscopy.

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