Thin Film Capacitors Cut from Single Crystals Using Focused Ion Beam Milling

2002 ◽  
Vol 748 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. M. Saad ◽  
N. J. Donnelly ◽  
R. M. Bowman ◽  
J. M. Gregg
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Single Crystal ◽  
Single Crystals ◽  
Focused Ion Beam ◽  
Film Growth ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Thin Film Capacitors ◽  
In Series

ABSTRACTThe Focused Ion Beam Microscope (FIB) has been used to fabricate capacitors from single crystals of BaTiO3 and SrTiO3 with electrode areas ∼200μm2, and thickness of single crystal dielectric between 2μm and 500nm. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy revealed that during capacitor fabrication, the FIB rendered around 20nm of dielectric at the electrode-dielectric interface amorphous, associated with local gallium impregnation. Such a region would act electrically in series with the single crystal and would presumably have a considerable negative influence on dielectric properties. However, annealing prior to electrode deposition was found to fully recover the single crystal, and homogenise the gallium profile. Some subsequent dielectric testing of SrTiO3 was performed yielding a room temperature dielectric constant of ∼150 and loss tangent of 0.015 at 100kHz. A technique has therefore been demonstrated which allows fabrication of capacitors in which size-effects in ‘thin-films’ can be studied, without the influence of grain boundaries, and other issues associated with conventional thin film growth.

A Cross-Sectional TEM Specimen of a Multilayer Thin Film Prepared Using the FIB Technique

2015 ◽  
Vol 771 ◽  
pp. 108-111
Author(s):  
Harini Sosiati ◽  
Satoshi Hata ◽  
Toshiya Doi
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Focused Ion Beam ◽  
Multilayer Film ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Substrate Surface ◽  
Thin Foil ◽  
Advanced Materials ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Stem Image

A focused ion beam (FIB) mill equipped with a microsampling (MS) unit and combined with transmission electron microscopy (TEM)/scanning TEM-energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (STEM-EDXS) is a powerful tool for studies of the functional advanced materials. For the studies, the specimen must be prepared as a thin foil which is tranparent to the electron beam. Focused ion beam is very effective method for fabricating TEM specimen of the cross-sectional thin film with the “lift-out” technique using a tungsten (W)-needle probe as a micromanipulator. A multilayer film of MgB2/Ni deposited on a Si (001) substrate prepared by FIB-MS technique is presented. Before FIB fabrication, the surface of the multilayer film was coated with W-film to prevent the surface from bombardment by the ion beam. A bright field (BF)-STEM image of the multilayer film related to two-dimensional (2D) elemental mapping clearly showed the presence of MgB2-and Ni-nanolayers. The measured experimental spacing between Ni-nanolayers was comparable with the actual specimen design, but the thickness of Ni-nanolayer was not. Unexpected nanostructures of the formation of SiO2 film on the substrate surface and holes within the film were observed.

FIB Sample Preparation of Polymer Thin Films on Hard Substrates Using the Shadow-FIB Method

2009 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 20-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suhan Kim ◽  
Gao Liu ◽  
Andrew M. Minor
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Cross Sections ◽  
Focused Ion Beam ◽  
Sacrificial Layer ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Initial Sample ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Hard Substrates

Focused ion beam (FIB) instrumentation has proven to be extremely useful for preparing cross-sectional samples for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations. The two most widely used methods involve milling a trench on either side of an electron-transparent window: the “H-bar” and the “lift-out” methods [1]. Although these two methods are very powerful in their versatility and ability to make site-specific TEM samples, they rely on using a sacrificial layer to protect the surface of the sample as well as the removal of a relatively large amount of material, depending on the size of the initial sample. In this article we describe a technique for making thin film cross-sections with the FIB, known as Shadow FIBing, that does not require the use of a sacrificial layer or long milling times [2].

scholarly journals Focused Ion Beams. Thin Film Growth by Low Energy Focused Ion Beam.

Hyomen Kagaku ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. 724-728
Author(s):  
Shinji NAGAMACHI ◽  
Masahiro UEDA ◽  
Junzo ISHIKAWA
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Focused Ion Beam ◽  
Film Growth ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Ion Beams ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Thin Film Growth ◽  
Focused Ion Beams

Ion Thinning of Electron Transparent Single Crystal Sapphire Substrates

1974 ◽  
Vol 32 ◽  
pp. 468-469
Author(s):  
J. L. Kenty ◽  
R. E. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Single Crystal ◽  
Film Growth ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Thin Film Growth ◽  
Sapphire Substrates ◽  
Single Crystal Sapphire ◽  
Growth Experiments

Samples of single crystal sapphire (α-Al2O3) have been ion-beam thinned to yield electron transparent regions suitable for use as substrates for in situ thin film growth experiments. Routine fabrication of 1 mm dia. samples containing one or more thin (∼200Å) regions ∼10μm2 in area was possible. The samples were surprisingly robust, many surviving post-thinning subdivision, mounting into a TEM environment cell, and heating to ∼1200°C.

Characterization of Heterointerfaces in Thin-Film Transistors by Cross-Sectional Transmission Electron Microscopy

1996 ◽  
Vol 466 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Kuroda ◽  
S. Tsuji ◽  
Y. Hayashi ◽  
H. Saka
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Thin Film Transistors ◽  
Focused Ion Beam ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Multilayered Structure ◽  
Silicon Thin Film ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Transmission Electron

ABSTRACTHydrogenated amorphous silicon thin-film transistors (a-Si:H TFTs) are now widely used as elements for active matrix liquid crystal displays. The nanometer-scale multilayered structure of a-Si:H TFTs has been characterized by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The discrete layer construction of a faulty TFTs and the generation of defects during manufacturing processes have been investigated. A combination of focused ion beam (FIB) etching and cross-sectional TEM leads to a successful failure analysis. A contamination layer with a thickness of 10–30 nm and microvoids inside multilayers are identified in faulty TFTs. An a-Si layer on silicon nitride (SiNx) is crystallized during TEM observation. Electron energy loss spectroscopy analysis indicates that the diffusion of nitrogen into a-Si layer causes the crystallization.

Cross-sectional Specimen Preparation of Fragile Failure Location in Thin-Film Transistors Using Focused Ion Beam Etching and Transmission Electron Microscope

1996 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Miura ◽  
K. Tsujimato ◽  
R. Kanehara ◽  
N. Tsutsui ◽  
S. Tsuji
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Thin Film Transistors ◽  
Focused Ion Beam ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Specimen Preparation ◽  
Tem Analysis ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Ion Beam Etching ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Failure Location

Abstract This paper describes how faulty thin-film transistors (TFTs) having fragile structures in themselves can be characterized by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (X-TEM) through the achievement of pinpoint accuracy in focused ion beam (FIB) etching. We demonstrate X-TEM analysis for faulty TFTs caused by mechanical damages, microvoid in their multilayers and long aluminum whiskers growing from the electrodes. X-TEM specimen were prepared by FIB etching without losing unique structures owing to fragile locations. Cross-sectional bright-field TEM micrographs clearly showed the details of cross sectional structure of fragile location. This pin-point X-TEM is quite helpful to identify faults and to reveal root causes of failures.

scholarly journals X-ray diffraction using focused-ion-beam-prepared single crystals

2020 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 614-622
Author(s):  
Tina Weigel ◽  
Claudia Funke ◽  
Matthias Zschornak ◽  
Thomas Behm ◽  
Hartmut Stöcker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Crystal ◽  
Single Crystals ◽  
Focused Ion Beam ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Preparation Technique ◽  
X Rays ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
Electron Densities ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Absorption Correction

High-quality single-crystal X-ray diffraction measurements are a prerequisite for obtaining precise and reliable structure data and electron densities. The single crystal should therefore fulfill several conditions, of which a regular defined shape is of particularly high importance for compounds consisting of heavy elements with high X-ray absorption coefficients. The absorption of X-rays passing through a 50 µm-thick LiNbO3 crystal can reduce the transmission of Mo Kα radiation by several tens of percent, which makes an absorption correction of the reflection intensities necessary. In order to reduce ambiguities concerning the shape of a crystal, used for the necessary absorption correction, a method for preparation of regularly shaped single crystals out of large samples is presented and evaluated. This method utilizes a focused ion beam to cut crystals with defined size and shape reproducibly and carefully without splintering. For evaluation, a single-crystal X-ray diffraction study using a laboratory diffractometer is presented, comparing differently prepared LiNbO3 crystals originating from the same macroscopic crystal plate. Results of the data reduction, structure refinement and electron density reconstruction indicate qualitatively similar values for all prepared crystals. Thus, the different preparation techniques have a smaller impact than expected. However, the atomic coordinates, electron densities and atomic charges are supposed to be more reliable since the focused-ion-beam-prepared crystal exhibits the smallest extinction influences. This preparation technique is especially recommended for susceptible samples, for cases where a minimal invasive preparation procedure is needed, and for the preparation of crystals from specific areas, complex material architectures and materials that cannot be prepared with common methods (breaking or grinding).

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document