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Identification of the Structure of Nanoscale Layers of Multilayer Heterocomposites using Transmission Electron Microscopy

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Abstract

The methods of transmission electron microscopy and high-resolution electron microscopy, used to study multilayer heterocomposites, have limitations in resolution, do not allow for the effective investigation of amorphous materials and require the analysis of many local areas in the case of samples consisting of individual crystallites. In this work, we investigate a multilayer heterocomposite, which is a phase-shift photomask consisting of layers of nanoscale thickness on the surface of a glass substrate. Focused-ion-beam methods are used to study a thin foil of cross and longitudinal sections. To identify the structure and determine the composition of the layers, the methods of transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis are used. The analysis of cross-sectional foils prepared using standard approaches allows visualization, thickness measurements, and determination of the layer compositions. It is shown that on the SiO2 substrate an amorphous layer of Mo0.06Si0.31N0.63 93 nm thick is formed, which is successively coated with polycrystalline layers of Cr0.56N0.44, Cr0.74C0.06N0.2, and Cr0.4N0.26O0.3 with thicknesses of 22, 37, and 8 nm, respectively. A thin foil with a planar cross-section, prepared at a slight inclination to the surface of the photomask, makes it possible to form sections of all layers with dimensions sufficient for their study by electron microdiffraction. The performed electrographic analysis confirmed the amorphous structure of the substrate and Mo0.06Si0.31N0.63 layer, and also showed that polycrystalline layers of Cr0.56N0.44, Cr0.74C0.06N0.2, and Cr0.4N0.26O0.3 formed by crystallites with a cubic lattice and parameters of 3.92, 4.18, and 4.12 Å, respectively.

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Funding

The work was carried out with financial support from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation within the framework of a state assignment (agreement FSMR-2023-0014) and using equipment of the Center for Common Use “Diagnostics and modification of microstructures and nanoobjects.”

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  1. National Research University “MIET”, Moscow, Russia

    R. L. Volkov & N. I. Borgardt

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  1. R. L. Volkov
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  2. N. I. Borgardt
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Correspondence to R. L. Volkov.

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Volkov, R.L., Borgardt, N.I. Identification of the Structure of Nanoscale Layers of Multilayer Heterocomposites using Transmission Electron Microscopy. Semiconductors 57, 1–10 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063782623010098

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