In situ transmission electron microscope formation of a single-crystalline Bi film on an amorphous substrate

In situ transmission electron microscope formation of a single-crystalline Bi film on an amorphous substrate

Neklyudova, M. (TU Delft QN/Zandbergen Lab)
Sabater, C. (Universiteit Leiden)
Erdamar, A.K. (TU Delft QN/Zandbergen Lab)
Van Ruitenbeek, J. M. (Universiteit Leiden)
Zandbergen, H.W. (TU Delft QN/Zandbergen Lab)

2017-03-06

We have performed a range of in situ heating experiments of polycrystalline Bi films of 22-25 nm-thickness in a transmission electron microscope (TEM). This shows that it is possible to locally transform a polycrystalline thin film into a [111]-oriented single-crystalline film, whereby the unique feature is that the original thickness of the film is maintained, and the substrate used in our experiments is amorphous. The single-crystalline areas have been created by heating the Bi film to temperatures close to the melting temperature with additional heating by focusing of the electron beam (e-beam), which results in local melting of the film. The film does not collapse by dewetting, and upon subsequent cooling, the film transforms into a single-crystalline [111] oriented area. The observed phenomenon is attributed to the presence of a thin Bi-oxide layer on top of Bi film. We show that removal of the Bi-oxide layer by heating the film in a H₂ gas atmosphere results in changes in the Bi film thickness and dewetting upon in situ heating in the TEM.

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:99a69062-6385-4004-8d50-f1985af408f1

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4977940

2018-03-06

0003-6951

Applied Physics Letters, 110 (10)

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2017 M. Neklyudova, C. Sabater, A.K. Erdamar, J. M. Van Ruitenbeek, H.W. Zandbergen