Specificity of defects induced in silicon by RF-plasma hydrogenation

Silicon wafers have been submitted to hydrogen RF-plasma treatment in various experimental conditions. Hydrogen RF-plasma treatment induced two kinds of effects on Si wafers, depending on the treatment conditions: surface corrugation and formation of structural defects below the free surface. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) investigations showed that the surface roughness significantly increased with the treatment duration, leading to the formation of pyramidal humps on the surface. The structural defects resulting after the plasma treatments were investigated by conventional and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (CTEM and HRTEM) techniques. The specificity of the induced extended defects due to hydrogen decoration was emphasized. Three types of extended defects were identified and characterized: planar defects in the {111} and {100} planes and nanometric voids. Point defects related to the hydrogenation process were investigated by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) in correlation with the electron microscopy results.     

Grain-boundary faceting at a = 3, [110]/{112} grain boundary in a cubic zirconia bicrystal

The atomic structure of a = 3, [110]/{112} grain boundary in a yttria-stabilized cubic zirconia bicrystal has been investigated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). It was found that the grain boundary migrated to form periodic facets, although the bicrystal was initially joined so as to have the symmetric boundary plane of {112}. The faceted boundary planes were indexed as {111}/{115}. The structure of the {111}/{115} grain boundary was composed of an alternate array of two types of structure unit: {112}- and {111}-type structure units. HRTEM observations combined with lattice statics calculations verified that both crystals were relatively shifted by (α/4)[110] along the rotation axis to form a stable grain-boundary structure. A weak-beam dark-field image revealed that there was a periodic array of dislocations along the grain boundary. The grain-boundary dislocations were considered to be introduced by the slight misorientation from the perfect = 3 orientation. The fact that the periodicity of the facets corresponded to that of the grain-boundary dislocations must indicate that the introduction of the grain-boundary dislocations is closely related to the periodicity of the facets. An atomic flipping model has been proposed for the facet growth from the initial = 3, {112} grain boundary.     

Formation of nano-twinned 3C-SiC grains in Fe-implanted 6H-SiC after 1500-℃ annealing

A nano-twinned microstructure was found in amorphous SiC after high-temperature annealing. Grazing incidence x-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and electron diffraction were performed to characterize the microstructure and phase transition in the recrystallization layer. After 1500 ℃ or 2-h annealing, 3C-SiC grains and numerous stacking faults on the {111} planes were visible. Some 3C-SiC grains have nano-twinned structure with {011} planes. Between the nano-twinned 3C-SiC grains, there is a stacking fault, indicating that the formation mechanisms of the nano-twinned structure are related to the disorder of Si atoms. The increase in the twin thickness with increasing annealing temperature demonstrates that the nano-twinned structure can sink for lattice defects, in order to improve the radiation tolerance of SiC.     

Light-emitting Si: Er structures prepared by molecular-beam epitaxy: Structural defects

The structural defects in silicon layers grown by molecular-beam epitaxy and doped with erbium up to concentrations [Er] = 4 × 10¹⁹ cm^?3 are studied using transmission electron microscopy and high-resolution electron microscopy. It is established that the main types of extended structural defects at erbium concentrations [Er] ≥ 2 × 10¹⁹ cm^?3 are 4-to 25-nm Er spherical precipitates located at the “epitaxial layer-substrate” boundary and platelike ErSi₂ precipitates residing in the { 111} planes throughout the thickness of the layer.     

Oxidation of tungsten single crystals in the presence of a high-electric field

The effects of high-electric fields on oxidation of tungsten single crystals in 6 × 10^?4 torr of oxygen at 1200–1500 °K were studied by field emission and transmission electron microscopy. Exposure of field emitters to oxygen in the absence of a field resulted in the build-up of emitter tips. Oxidation under the application of a negative or positive field, on the other hand, involved plane faceting and formation of oxide crystallites. Plane faceting was recognized to occur on the {111} and the {112} regions, showing the facetings of the {111} and the {112} planes into the {110} planes, whereas, crystallite formation seemed to take place selectively on the {100} regions. It was suggested by field emission microscopy that negative fields have an additional effect which causes the growth of an oxide crystal on the (110) plane. Transmission electron microscopy of an emitter oxidized in a negative field actually revealed a tiny oxide crystal with a size of ～ 300 Å grown on the developed (110) plane. The crystal exhibited a triangular shadow image strongly indicating an external pyramid-like form.     

The chemical composition of a metal/ceramic interface on an atomic scale: The Cu/MgO {111} interface

The chemical composition profile across a Cu/MgO {111}-type heterophase interface, produced by the internal oxidation of a Cu(Mg) single-phase alloy at 1173 K, is measured via atom-probe field-ion microscopy with a spatial resolution of 0.121 nm; this resolution is equal to the interplanar spacing of the {222} MgO planes. In particular, we demonstrate directly that the bonding across a Cu/MgO {111}-type heterophase interface, along a <111> direction common to both the Cu matrix and an MgO precipitate, has the sequence Cu|O|Mg... and not Cu|Mg|O...; this result is achieved without any deconvolution of the experimental data. Before determining this chemical sequence, it was established, via high-resolution electron microscopy, that the morphology of an MgO precipitate in a Cu matrix is an octahedron faceted on {111} planes with a cube-on-cube relationship between a precipitate and the matrix; that is, {111}_Cu//{222}_MgO and <110>_Cu // <110>_MgO.     

EBSD FEG-SEM, TEM and XRD techniques applied to grain study of a commercially pure 1200 aluminum subjected to equal-channel angular-pressing

Microstructural evolution due to equal-channel angular-pressing (ECAP) with increasingly severe deformation was investigated in a commercially pure 1200 aluminum alloy. A true strain of eight produced sub-micrometer scale grains and very fine subgrains in the grain interior. The deformation process was documented and described using field-emission (FEG) gun scanning and transmission electron microscopy techniques. After eight ECAP passes, the high-angle grain boundaries accounted for approximately 70% of all boundaries. The fine spacing resolution of FEG scanning electron microscopy allowed detailed grain and subgrain statistical evaluation in the deformed microstructure; transmission electron microscopic inspection afforded appreciation of the role of very low-angle misorientation boundaries in the microstructure-refining process. ECAP results were compared with those produced by cold rolling. The material's texture evolved in a decreasing trend of Cube {001}100 intensities in favor of Cube rotated toward the normal-to-pressing direction {001}120, while Goss {110}001 and {111}110, {111}112 directions slightly increased with strain.     

Morphologies of latent and etched heavy-ion tracks in {111} CaF2

Structure details of latent tracks created by U, Pb and Au ions (energies 6.9, 28.7 and 11.1?MeV/A, respectively) in {111} CaF₂ have been extracted by means of scanning force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The revealed structure has assisted in the interpretation of the etching behaviour of tracks created in {111} CaF₂ by 9.2?MeV/A Bi ions. In the latter experiments, irradiated fragments were immersed for short durations in a 3:1 10% HCl/96% H₂SO₄ solution and the morphology of the formed etch pits was derived by high-resolution scanning electron microscopy and scanning force microscopy. Three conclusions emerged. First, ion-induced surface hillocks exhibit no resistance against etchant attack. Second, the primary etching diameter of the track coincides with the nanometric width of the structurally altered track core. Third, the structure of the etch pits, 3-faced symmetric pyramidal depressions with {122} faces, indicates that etching across the track halo, a few tens of nanometers wide strained crystal, is dominated by surface energies of crystal faces.     

氮掺杂金刚石{100}晶面的缺陷发光特性

氮是金刚石中最常见的杂质之一, 其对金刚石的缺陷发光具有重要的影响. 氮可以与金刚石中的本征缺陷形成复合缺陷. 本文首先利用阴极射线发光照片(CL)对一个高温高压合成的氮掺杂金刚石进行表征, 发现{100}晶面为蓝色, 然后利用透射电子显微镜(TEM)对该晶面进行电子辐照及后续退火处理, 以引入本征点缺陷进而形成含氮的复合缺陷, 并利用低温光致发光光谱(PL光谱)表征其缺陷发光特性, 发现该晶面主要以氮-空位复合缺陷(NV中心)发光为主, 并伴随着较弱的503 nm发光. 关键词： 金刚石 缺陷 发光     

Effect of vacancy defect clusters on the optical property of the aluminium filter used for the space solar telescope

We investigate the microstructures of the pure aluminium foil and filter used on the space solar telescope, irradiated by photons with different doses. The vacancy defect clusters induced by proton irradiation in both samples are characterized by transmission electron microscopy, and the density and the size distribution of vacancy defect clusters are determined. Their transmittances are measured before and after irradiating the samples by protons with energy E=100~keV and dose φ =6× 10¹¹/mm². Our experimental results show that the density and the size of vacancy defect clusters increase with the increase of irradiation doses in the irradiated pure aluminium foils. As irradiation dose increases, vacancies incline to form larger defect clusters. In the irradiated filter, a large number of banded void defects are observed at the agglomerate boundary, which results in the degradation of the optical and mechanical performances of the filter after proton irradiation.     

Extended defects in hydrogen-implanted (111) silicon wafer treated by high temperature annealing process

Hydrogen impurity has been an active topic of research in material science and en-gineering[1—3]. Many studies indicated that chemically active hydrogen can affect theproperties of the materials including silicon. For example, hydrogen may lead to theembrittlement of silicon crystals[4] and the passivation of the deep-level impurities[5].More interestingly, high dose of hydrogen in silicon by ion implantation can evidentlychange the material structure. {111} and {100} platelet defects were ob…     

On the influence of extrinsic point defects on irradiation-induced point-defect distributions in silicon

A semi-quantitave model describing the influence of interfaces and stress fields on {113}-defect generation in silicon during 1-MeV electron irradiation, is further developed to take into account also the role of extrinsic point defects. It is shown that the observed distribution of {113}-defects in high-flux electron-irradiated silicon and its dependence on irradiation temperature and dopant concentration can be understood by taking into account not only the influence of the surfaces and interfaces as sinks for intrinsic point defects but also the thermal stability of the bulk sinks for intrinsic point defects. In heavily doped silicon the bulk sinks are related with pairing reactions of the dopant atoms with the generated intrinsic point defects or related with enhanced recombination of vacancies and self-interstitials at extrinsic point defects. The obtained theoretical results are correlated with published experimental data on boron-and phosphorus-doped silicon and are illustrated with observations obtained by irradiating cross-section transmission electron microscopy samples of wafers with highly doped surface layers.     

强流脉冲电子束作用下纯镍表层中织构及结构缺陷的演化行为

利用强流脉冲电子束(HCPEB)装置对金属纯Ni进行轰击,采用X射线衍射及透射电子显微镜(TEM)技术详细分析了受轰击样品的变形结构和缺陷。X射线衍射分析表明,经强流脉冲电子束处理后,在{111}和{200}晶面出现了择优取向。TEM表层微观结构分析表明:强流脉冲电子束轰击1次和5次后,晶粒内部形成了大量的(111)[112]型波状条带结构,在波状条带内部包含大量平行的(200)[110]型微条带;10次轰击后,样品变形结构发生变化,除大量的条带状结构外,变形孪晶的数量明显增多。这些变形微结构不仅影响表层的织构演化行为,而且还能细化晶粒,强流脉冲电子束技术为制备表面纳米材料提供了一条有效的途径。     

Study of superstructure II in multiferroic BiMnO3

The crystal structure of the minor phase, named superstructure II, existing in multiferroic compound BiMnO3 has been studied by electron diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Domains of major and minor phases coexisting in BiMnO3 were observed in high-resolution electron microscope images. The unit cell of minor phase was determined to be triclinic with the size 4×4×4 times as large as the distorted perovskite subcell. The [111] and [101] projected structure maps of the minor phase have been derived from the corresponding images by means of the image processing. A possible rough three-dimensional （3D） structure model was proposed based on the 3D structural information extracted from the two projected structure maps. Since there is no inversion centre in the proposed model, the minor phase may contribute to the ferroelectric property of BiMnO3.     

高分辨X射线衍射研究杂质对晶体结构完整性的影响

用水溶液生长晶体的方法生长出了不同掺杂的Sr(NO₃)₂晶体.用电子探针研究了杂质在晶体中的分布情况.结果表明,杂质在晶体中存在扇形分凝,其中Ba在{100}扇形区的含量大于{111}扇形区,而Pb的分凝情况相反,在{111}扇形区的含量大于{100}扇形区.用高分辨X射线衍射摇摆曲线技术研究了纯的、掺Ba的和掺Pb的Sr(NO₃)₂晶体的完整性情况,并用X射线衍射动力学理论计算了完整Sr(NO₃ 关键词： 高分辨X射线衍射 杂质 水溶液晶体生长     

Atomic structure of boron nitride nanotubes with an armchair-type structure studied by HREM

Hexagonal networks of boron nitride (BN) nanotubes were investigated by high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) and image simulation. From HREM images, lattice planes of {002} and hexagonal rings of a BN nanotube were confirmed. Asymmetrical layer arrangements were found, and a structure model for double-walled BN nanotube with an armchair-type structure has been proposed.     

Vacancy Aggregation in Diamond Films grown in CH4＋H2 Atmosphere by MPCVD

Transmission electron microscopy is applied to study the diamond film grown in a CH₄ and H₂ gaseous mixture by microwave plasma assisted chemical vapour deposition. Defects in the nanometre scale, dislocation loops, arefirst observed in diamond films. The dislocation loops are found to be of co-existence with planar defects and are next to the planar defects for {111} faceting grains. A possible mechanism is suggested to interpret the co-existence of dislocation loops with planar defects.     

In situ electron microscopy study of the thermal motion of liquid lead nanoparticles in thin aluminum foils

The kinetics of thermal motion of liquid lead nanoparticles in thin aluminum foils has been investigated in situ by transmission electron microscopy. Dependences of the diffusion coefficient of particles on temperature and particle size have been obtained. The results of the investigations can be interpreted on the assumption that the mobility of particles is controlled by the nucleation of steps on {111} faces of their surface.     

Structure of Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 films grown by chemical solution deposition on polycor substrates

The structure of barium strontium titanate (BST) films grown by chemical solution deposition on polycor substrates was studied by transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution microscopy, and x-ray diffraction analysis. It was found that a grain structure inhomogeneous in cross section is formed after two-step crystallization at T = 700 and 950°C. There are equiaxed grains (44.2 nm in average size) in the BST-polycor interfacial region and a multilevel columnar structure (grain height up to 150 nm) with {100} texture in the film bulk. Grain growth inhibition during high-temperature annealing and underlayer formation in the interfacial region are caused by a change in the substrate structure, i.e., grain reorientation and {112} texture formation.