Patent · US Expired

Electron microscope for specimen composition and strain analysis and observation method thereof

US5453617A · kind A · utility

19Cited by
1References
22Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 20, 1994
Grant dateSep 26, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 20, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J37/26
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A composition change and a 3-dimensional strained structure in an interface or thin film of a layered thin film specimen are detected with a resolution of atom order and quantitatively analyzed. An accelerated electron beam is impinged upon a specimen cleaved in a wedge form. An equal thickness fringe appearing on a transmitted image is detected. By utilizing such a phenomenon that the distance t of the equal thickness fringe is changed by a lattice plane inclination, angle distribution of lattice plane inclination is measured. An analysis of the strained structure is made. Furthermore, processing is conducted so that the equal thickness fringe may represent only the composition change, and a quantitative analysis of the composition distribution is also made. By estimating the composition change and strained structure in the heterointerface and thin film with a resolution of atom order, relations between characteristics and the composition change and strained structure of a strained superlattice device or the like can be elucidated. Thus, not only defective analysis can be made, but also information concerning optimization of the process condition and device structure is obtained.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.