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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 1,135 records · Page 63
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2012

Direct visualization method of the atomic structure of light and heavy atoms with double-detector C{sub s}-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy

The advent of C{sub s}-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) has advanced the observation of atomic structures in materials and nanotechnology devices. High-angle annular dark-field (HAADF)-STEM using an annular detector visualizes heavy elements as bright spots at atomic resolution that can be observed with the Z-contrast technique. In this study, the atomic column of light elements is directly observed as bright spots by middle-angle bright-field (MABF)-STEM imaging. Therefore, a double-detector STEM imaging method was developed, exploiting the advantage of both MABF-STEM and HAADF-STEM to maximum, which consists of multiple exposures of simultaneously observed MABF- and HAADF-STEM images in red-green-blue color.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2012

Atomic-resolution study of polarity reversal in GaSb grown on Si by scanning transmission electron microscopy

The atomic-resolved reversal of the polarity across an antiphase boundary (APB) was observed in GaSb films grown on Si by high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM). The investigation of the interface structure at the origin of the APB reveals that coalescence of two domains with Ga-prelayer and Sb-prelayer causes the sublattice reversal. The local strain and lattice rotation distributions of the APB, attributed to the discordant bonding length at the APB with the surrounding GaSb lattice, were further studied using the geometric phase analysis technique. The crystallographic characteristics of the APBs and their interaction with other planar defects were observed with HAADF-STEM. The quantitative agreement between experimental and simulated images confirms the observed polarities in the acquired HAADF-STEM data. The self-annihilation mechanism of the APBs is addressed based on the rotation induced by anti-site bonds and APBs' faceting.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2012

High-resolution and site-specific scanning spreading resistance microscopy and its applications to silicon devices

Due to the continuous reduction of the critical dimensions of semiconductor devices, it becomes very important to know the two dimensional (2D) doping profile for improving device performance. Scanning spreading resistance microscopy (SSRM) performed in high vacuum is a powerful technique for quantitative 2D-doping profiling, with high spatial resolution and wide dynamic range of carrier concentration, as well as capability of site-specific analysis for accurate position. In this paper, we review SSRM applications to source/drain engineering in Si devices and their correlation with device characteristics by demonstrating several case studies. Direct observation of (110)/(100) CMOSFETs clarified significant differences between both pFETs and nFETs on (110) and (100) silicon substrates, revealing 2D channeling effect of boron ion implantation in pFETs; as well as silicidation impact on junction leakage-current characteristics in nFETs. Furthermore, our sample-preparation breakthrough enables site-specific SSRM characterization within 60 nm ultra thin samples and therefore failure analysis of real SRAM devices, demonstrating the high potential of SSRM technology for further device scaling and for failure analysis.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Scanning transmission electron microscopy strain measurement from millisecond frames of a direct electron charge coupled device

A high-speed direct electron detection system is introduced to the field of transmission electron microscopy and applied to strain measurements in semiconductor nanostructures. In particular, a focused electron probe with a diameter of 0.5 nm was scanned over a fourfold quantum layer stack with alternating compressive and tensile strain and diffracted discs have been recorded on a scintillator-free direct electron detector with a frame time of 1 ms. We show that the applied algorithms can accurately detect Bragg beam positions despite a significant point spread each 300 kV electron causes during detection on the scintillator-free camera. For millisecond exposures, we find that strain can be measured with a precision of 1.3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -3}, enabling, e.g., strain mapping in a 100 Multiplication-Sign 100 nm{sup 2} region with 0.5 nm resolution in 40 s.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

Optimized cobalt nanowires for domain wall manipulation imaged by in situ Lorentz microscopy

Direct observation of domain wall (DW) nucleation and propagation in focused electron beam induced deposited Co nanowires as a function of their dimensions was carried out by Lorentz microscopy (LTEM) upon in situ application of magnetic field. Optimal dimensions favoring the unambiguous DW nucleation/propagation required for applications were found in 500-nm-wide and 13-nm-thick Co nanowires, with a maximum nucleation field and the largest gap between nucleation and propagation fields. The internal DW structures were resolved using the transport-of-intensity equation formalism in LTEM images and showed that the optimal nanowire dimensions correspond to the crossover between the nucleation of transverse and vortex walls.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Calibration of measurement sensitivities of multiple micro-cantilever dynamic modes in atomic force microscopy using a contact detection method

An accurate experimental method is proposed for on-spot calibration of the measurement sensitivities of multiple micro-cantilever dynamic modes in atomic force microscopy. One of the key techniques devised for this method is a reliable contact detection mechanism that detects the tip-surface contact instantly. At the contact instant, the oscillation amplitude of the tip deflection, converted to that of the deflection signal in laser reading through the measurement sensitivity, exactly equals to the distance between the sample surface and the cantilever base position. Therefore, the proposed method utilizes the recorded oscillation amplitude of the deflection signal and the base position of the cantilever at the contact instant for the measurement sensitivity calibration. Experimental apparatus along with various signal processing and control modules was realized to enable automatic and rapid acquisition of multiple sets of data, with which the calibration of a single dynamic mode could be completed in less than 1 s to suppress the effect of thermal drift and measurement noise. Calibration of the measurement sensitivities of the first and second dynamic modes of three micro-cantilevers having distinct geometries was successfully demonstrated. The dependence of the measurement sensitivity on laser spot location was also experimentally investigated. Finally, an experiment was performed to validate the calibrated measurement sensitivity of the second dynamic mode of a micro-cantilever.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2013

Conductive atomic force microscopy study of local electronic transport in ZnTe thin films

ZnTe thin films obtained by the electron beam evaporation technique were subjected to thermal annealing at 500 Degree-Sign C for 2 hours. The as deposited films were amorphous but transformed to the crystalline state under influence of the thermal treatment. There is increase in optical absorption due to the heat treatment caused by increase in free carrier concentration. Conductive atomic force microscopy shows the presence of electronic inhomogeneities in the films. This is attributed to local compositional variations in the films. I-V analysis in these systems indicates formation of Schottky junction at the metal semiconductor (M-S) interface.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Synchrotron radiation based cross-sectional scanning photoelectron microscopy and spectroscopy of n-ZnO:Al/p-GaN:Mg heterojunction

Al-doped ZnO (AZO) deposited by radio frequency co-sputtering is formed on epitaxial Mg-doped GaN template at room temperature to achieve n-AZO/p-GaN heterojunction. Alignment of AZO and GaN bands is investigated using synchrotron radiation based cross-sectional scanning photoelectron microscopy and spectroscopy on the nonpolar side-facet of a vertically c-axis aligned heterostructure. It shows type-II band configuration with valence band offset of 1.63 {+-} 0.1 eV and conduction band offset of 1.61 {+-} 0.1 eV, respectively. Rectification behavior is clearly observed, with a ratio of forward-to-reverse current up to six orders of magnitude when the bias is applied across the p-n junction.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

The material dependence of temperature measurement resolution in thermal scanning electron microscopy

Thermal scanning electron microscopy is a recently developed temperature mapping technique based on thermal diffuse scattering in electron backscatter diffraction in a scanning electron microscope. It provides nano-scale and non-contact temperature mapping capabilities. Due to the specific temperature sensitive mechanism inherent to this technique, the temperature resolution is highly material dependent. A thorough investigation of what material properties affect the temperature resolution is important for realizing the inherent temperature resolution limit for each material. In this paper, three material dependent parameters-the Debye-Waller B-factor temperature sensitivity, backscatter yield, and lattice constant-are shown to control the temperature resolution.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Observation of two-dimensional p-type dopant diffusion across a p{sup +}-InP/n{sup -}-InGaAs interface using scanning electron microscopy

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with potential calculations has been shown to be effective for the detection of p-type dopant diffusion, even across a Zn doped p{sup +}-InP/non-doped n{sup -}-InGaAs/n{sup +}-InP heterojunction. Heterojunction samples were observed using SEM and the electrostatic potential was calculated from Zn concentration profiles obtained by secondary ion mass spectrometry. The sensitivity of SEM for the potential was derived from the SEM observations and potential calculation results. The results were then used to investigate the dependence of the SEM contrast on the Zn diffusion length across the p{sup +}-InP/non-doped n{sup -}-InGaAs interface. Accurate dopant mapping was difficult when the Zn diffusion length was shorter than 30 nm, because the heterojunction affects the potential at the interface. However, accurate dopant mapping was possible when the Zn diffusion length was longer than 30 nm, because the factor dominating the potential variation was not the heterojunction, but rather Zn diffusion 30 nm distant from the interface. Thus, Zn diffusion further than 30 nm from a Zn-doped p{sup +}-InP/non-doped n{sup -}-InGaAs interface can be effectively detected by secondary electron (SE) imaging. SE imaging with potential calculations can be widely used for accurate dopant mapping, even at heterojunctions, and is, therefore, expected to be of significant assistance to the compound semiconductor industry.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

Optical design of the short pulse x-ray imaging and microscopy time-angle correlated diffraction beamline at the Advanced Photon Source

The short pulse x-ray imaging and microscopy beamline is one of the two x-ray beamlines that will take full advantage of the short pulse x-ray source in the Advanced Photon Source (APS) upgrade. A horizontally diffracting double crystal monochromator which includes a sagittally focusing second crystal will collect most of the photons generated when the chirped electron beam traverses the undulator. A Kirkpatrick-Baez mirror system after the monochromator will deliver to the sample a beam which has an approximately linear correlation between time and vertical beam angle. The correlation at the sample position has a slope of 0.052 ps/{mu}rad extending over an angular range of 800 {mu}rad for a cavity deflection voltage of 2 MV. The expected time resolution of the whole system is 2.6 ps. The total flux expected at the sample position at 10 keV with a 0.9 eV energy resolution is 5.7 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 12} photons/s at a spot having horizontal and vertical full width at half maximum of 33 {mu}m horizontal by 14 {mu}m vertical. This new beamline will enable novel time-dispersed diffraction experiments on small samples using the full repetition rate of the APS.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Electron microscopy investigations of purity of AlN interlayer in Al{sub x}Ga{sub 1-x}N/GaN heterostructures grown by plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy

The electron microscopy was used to characterize the AlN interlayer in Al{sub x}Ga{sub 1-x}N/AlN/GaN heterostructures grown by plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE). We show that the AlN interlayer grown by PAMBE is without gallium and oxygen incorporation and the interfaces are coherent. The AlN interlayer has the ABAB stacking of lattice planes as expected for the wurtzite phase. High purity of AlN interlayer with the ABAB stacking leads to larger conduction band offset along with stronger polarization effects. Our studies show that the origin of lower sheet resistance obtained by PAMBE is the purity of AlN interlayer.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

An easy-to-implement filter for separating photo-excited signals from topography in scanning tunneling microscopy

In order to achieve elemental and chemical sensitivity in scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), synchrotron x-rays have been applied to excite core-level electrons during tunneling. The x-ray photo-excitations result in tip currents that are superimposed onto conventional tunneling currents. While carrying important physical information, the varying x-ray induced currents can destabilize the feedback loop causing it to be unable to maintain a constant tunneling current, sometimes even causing the tip to retract fully or crash. In this paper, we report on an easy-to-implement filter circuit that can separate the x-ray induced currents from conventional tunneling currents, thereby allowing simultaneous measurements of topography and chemical contrasts. The filter and the schematic presented here can also be applied to other variants of light-assisted STM such as laser STM.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2013

Quantitative magnetic imaging at the nanometer scale by ballistic electron magnetic microscopy

We demonstrate quantitative ballistic electron magnetic microscopy (BEMM) imaging of simple model Fe(001) nanostructures. We use in situ nanostencil shadow mask resistless patterning combined with molecular beam epitaxy deposition to prepare under ultra-high vacuum conditions nanostructured epitaxial Fe/Au/Fe/GaAs(001) spin-valves. In this epitaxial system, the magnetization of the bottom Fe/GaAs(001) electrode is parallel to the [110] direction, defining accurately the analysis direction for the BEMM experiments. The large hot-electron magnetoresistance of the Fe/Au/Fe/GaAs(001) epitaxial spin-valve allows us to image various stable magnetic configurations on the as-grown Fe(001) microstructures with a high sensitivity, even for small misalignments of both magnetic electrodes. The angular dependence of the hot-electron magnetocurrent is used to convert magnetization maps calculated by micromagnetic simulations into simulated BEMM images. The calculated BEMM images and magnetization rotation profiles show quantitative agreement with experiments and allow us to investigate the magnetic phase diagram of these model Fe(001) microstructures. Finally, magnetic domain reversals are observed under high current density pulses. This opens the way for further BEMM investigations of current-induced magnetization dynamics.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2013

On the visibility of very thin specimens in annular bright field scanning transmission electron microscopy

Annular bright field (ABF) scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) is emerging as an important observation mode for its ability to simultaneously image both heavy and light elements. However, recent results have demonstrated that in the limit of a very thin specimen (a few atomic layers), the ABF and high angle annular dark field (HAADF) signals cease to be intuitively related: a phenomenon which is generally irrelevant when imaging 'normal' specimens. ABF/HAADF STEM observations and multislice image simulations of two catalyst samples of differing atomic weights are presented; it is shown that the nature of the ABF signal is specimen dependent.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

Boron concentration profiling by high angle annular dark field-scanning transmission electron microscopy in homoepitaxial δ-doped diamond layers

To develop further diamond related devices, the concentration and spatial location of dopants should be controlled down to the nanometer scale. Scanning transmission electron microscopy using the high angle annular dark field mode is shown to be sensitive to boron doping in diamond epilayers. An analytical procedure is described, whereby local boron concentrations above 10{sup 20} cm{sup −3} were quantitatively derived down to nanometer resolution from the signal dependence on thickness and boron content. Experimental boron local doping profiles measured on diamond p{sup −}/p{sup ++}/p{sup −} multilayers are compared to macroscopic profiles obtained by secondary ion mass spectrometry, avoiding reported artefacts.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Electric force microscopy of semiconductors: Theory of cantilever frequency fluctuations and noncontact friction

An electric force microscope employs a charged atomic force microscope probe in vacuum to measure fluctuating electric forces above the sample surface generated by dynamics of molecules and charge carriers. We present a theoretical description of two observables in electric force microscopy of a semiconductor: the spectral density of cantilever frequency fluctuations (jitter), which are associated with low-frequency dynamics in the sample, and the coefficient of noncontact friction, induced by higher-frequency motions. The treatment is classical-mechanical, based on linear response theory and classical electrodynamics of diffusing charges in a dielectric continuum. Calculations of frequency jitter explain the absence of contributions from carrier dynamics to previous measurements of an organic field effect transistor. Calculations of noncontact friction predict decreasing friction with increasing carrier density through the suppression of carrier density fluctuations by intercarrier Coulomb interactions. The predicted carrier density dependence of the friction coefficient is consistent with measurements of the dopant density dependence of noncontact friction over Si. Our calculations predict that in contrast to the measurement of cantilever frequency jitter, a noncontact friction measurement over an organic semiconductor could show appreciable contributions from charge carriers.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

Combined short scale roughness and surface dielectric function gradient effects on the determination of tip-sample force in atomic force microscopy

The contribution of tip roughness to the van der Waals force between an atomic force microscopy probe tip and the sample is calculated using the multilayer effective medium model, which allows us to consider the relevant case of roughness characterized by correlation length and amplitude in the nanometer scale. The effect of the surface dielectric function gradient is incorporated in the tip-sample force model. It is concluded that for rms roughness in the few nanometers range the effect of short scale tip roughness is quite significant.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗