Towards Atomic Column-by-Column Spectroscopy

The optical arrangement of the scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) is ideally suited for performing analysis of individual atomic columns in materials. Using the incoherent Z-contrast image as a reference, and arranging incoherent conditions also for the spectroscopy, a precise correspondence is ensured between features in the inelastic image and elastic signals. In this way the exact probe position needed to maximise the inelastic signal from a selected column can be located and monitored during the analysis using the much higher intensity elastic signal. Although object functions for EELS are typically less than 1 {Angstrom} full width at half maximum, this is still an order of magnitude larger than the corresponding object functions for elastic (or diffuse) scattering used to form the Z-contrast image. Therefore the analysis is performed with an effective probe that is significantly broader than that used for the reference Z-contrast image. For a 2.2 {Angstrom} probe the effective probe is of the order of 2.5 {Angstrom}, while for a 1.3 {Angstrom} probe the effective probe is 1.6 {Angstrom}. Such increases in effective probe size can significantly reduce or even eliminate contrast between atomic columns that are visible in the image. However, this is only true if we consider circular collector apertures. Calculations based upon the theory of Maslen and Rossouw (Maslen and Rossouw 1984; Rossouw and Maslen 1984) show that employing an annular aperture can reduce the FWHM of the inelastic object function down to values close 0.1 {Angstrom}. With practical aperture sizes it should be possible to achieve this increased spatial resolution without loosing too much signal

Study of Chromium-Doped Diamond-Like Carbon by Z-Contrast Imaging and Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy

Metal-doped diamond-like carbon films were produced for the purpose of an electrochemical nano-electrode. In this study we use Z-contrast scanning transmission electron microscopy to directly observe metal cluster formation and distributions within the chromium-doped carbon films. At low doping ({approximately}6at%Cr), Cr is uniformly distributed; at high doping ({approximately}12at%Cr), Cr-rich clusters are formed. Using electron energy loss spectroscopy, we find that the Cr clusters tend to be metallic-like at low doping levels and carbide-like at high doping levels according to the Cr L, white line ratios. The carbon is more diamond-like at low doping and more graphite/carbide like at high doping according to the sp1/sp3 electron percentage measurements

Defect formation and carrier doping in epitaxial films of the infinite layer compound

The correlation between defect formation and carrier doping in epitaxial films of the infinite layer compound SrCuO{sub 2} has been studied via molecular beam epitaxy controlled layer-by-layer growth experiments, chemically resolved scanning transmission electron microscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, x-ray diffraction, electrical transport measurements, and post-growth oxidation-reduction annealing. Based on the complementary information provided by these experiments, it is concluded that the carrier doping is dominated by the formation of an electron-doped, Sr and O deficient matrix under mildly oxidizing growth conditions. Hole-doping is induced by extended defects containing excess Sr atoms and may lead to superconductivity after high-temperature oxidation

Defects and Their Origin in Thin Films of (001) Alkaline Earth Oxides

MgO is used as an optical isolation layer for waveguides epitaxially grown on Si. Crystalline perfection of MgO is critical because it serves as a substrate for the single crytal, perovskite guiding layer. Imperfections in the MgO will result in imperfections in the guiding layer and lead to large optical losses for the planar waveguide structure. It is shown that the most common defect to form in thin MgO films are twin boundaries between {l_brace}111{r_brace}-type planes. Highest density of twins is observed when (001) MgO is grown directly on silicon/MgO interlayers containing Ba. Twinning is shown to accommodate the large size of Ba impurities incorporated in the MgO films through formation of internal grain boundaries and oper surface other than the growing (001) of MgO

Direct sublattice imaging of interface dislocation structures in CdTe/GaAs(001)

This paper presents directly interpretable atomic resolution images of dislocation structures at interfaces in CdTe/GaAs(001) systems. This is achieved using the technique of Z-contrast imaging in a 300 kV scanning transmission electron microscope in conjunction with maximum entropy image analysis. In addition to being used to further the understanding of the relation between growth conditions and exhibited properties, the data presented provides direct information on the atomic arrangements at dislocation cores

Tunnel magnetoresistance in La_(0.7)Ca_(0.3)MnO_(3)/PrBa_(2)Cu_(3)O_(7)/La_(0.7)Ca_(0.3)MnO_(3)

We report large tunneling magnetoresistance in La_(0.7)Ca_(0.3)MnO_(3) (8 nm)/PrBa_(2)Cu_(3)O_(7) (2.4 nm)/La_(0.7)Ca_(0.3)MnO_(3) (50 nm) junctions. The coherent growth of the cuprate on the manganite allows the deposition of ultrathin barriers which are continuous and flat over long lateral distances. Epitaxial strain causes the top layer to be a weaker ferromagnet without a significant decrease in the spin polarization

In-depth analysis of chloride treatments for thin-film CdTe solar cells

CdTe thin-film solar cells are now the main industrially established alternative to silicon-based photovoltaics. These cells remain reliant on the so-called chloride activation step in order to achieve high conversion efficiencies. Here, by comparison of effective and ineffective chloride treatments, we show the main role of the chloride process to be the modification of grain boundaries through chlorine accumulation, which leads an increase in the carrier lifetime. It is also demonstrated that while improvements in fill factor and short circuit current may be achieved through use of the ineffective chlorides, or indeed simple air annealing, voltage improvement is linked directly to chlorine incorporation at the grain boundaries. This suggests that focus on improved or more controlled grain boundary treatments may provide a route to achieving higher cell voltages and thus efficiencies

Emerging Diluted Ferromagnetism in High-T-c Superconductors Driven by Point Defect Clusters

Defects in ceramic materials are generally seen as detrimental to their functionality and applicability. Yet, in some complex oxides, defects present an opportunity to enhance some of their properties or even lead to the discovery of exciting physics, particularly in the presence of strong correlations. A paradigmatic case is the high-temperature superconductor YBa2Cu3O7-delta(Y123), in which nanoscale defects play an important role as they can immobilize quantized magnetic flux vortices. Here previously unforeseen point defects buried in Y123 thin films that lead to the formation of ferromagnetic clusters embedded within the superconductor are unveiled. Aberration-corrected scanning transmission microscopy has been used for exploring, on a single unit-cell level, the structure and chemistry resulting from these complex point defects, along with density functional theory calculations, for providing new insights about their nature including an unexpected defect-driven ferromagnetism, and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism for bearing evidence of Cu magnetic moments that align ferromagnetically even below the superconducting critical temperature to form a dilute system of magnetic clusters associated with the point defects

The origin of paramagnetic magnetization in field-cooled YBa2Cu3O7 films

Temperature dependences of the magnetic moment have been measured in YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-\delta} thin films over a wide magnetic field range (5 <= H <= 10^4 Oe). In these films a paramagnetic signal known as the paramagnetic Meissner effect has been observed. The experimental data in the films, which have strong pinning and high critical current densities (J_c ~ 2 \times 10^6 A/cm^2 at 77 K), are quantitatively shown to be highly consistent with the theoretical model proposed by Koshelev and Larkin [Phys. Rev. B 52, 13559 (1995)]. This finding indicates that the origin of the paramagnetic effect is ultimately associated with nucleation and inhomogeneous spatial redistribution of magnetic vortices in a sample which is cooled down in a magnetic field. It is also shown that the distribution of vortices is extremely sensitive to the interplay of film properties and the real experimental conditions of the measurements.Comment: RevTex, 8 figure