Atomic structure of β-tantalum nanocrystallites

Tillmann, K., Thust, A., Gerber, A., Weides, M. P. and Urban, K. (2005) Atomic structure of β-tantalum nanocrystallites. Microscopy and Microanalysis, 11(6), pp. 534-544. (doi: 10.1017/S1431927605050543) (PMID:17481332)

Abstract

The structural properties of β-phase tantalum nanocrystallites prepared by room temperature magnetron sputter deposition on amorphous carbon substrates are investigated at atomic resolution. For these purposes spherical aberration-corrected high-resolution transmission electron microscopy is applied in tandem with the numerical retrieval of the exit-plane wavefunction as obtained from a through-focus series of experimental micrographs. We demonstrate that recent improvements in the resolving power of electron microscopes enable the imaging of the atomic structure of β-tantalum with column spacings of solely 0.127 nm with directly interpretable contrast features. For the first time ever, we substantiate the existence of grain boundaries of 30° tilt type in β-Ta whose formation may be well explained by atomic agglomeration processes taking place during sputter deposition.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Weides, Professor Martin
• Authors: Tillmann, K., Thust, A., Gerber, A., Weides, M. P., and Urban, K.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Electronics and Nanoscale Engineering
• Journal Name: Microscopy and Microanalysis
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• ISSN: 1431-9276
• ISSN (Online): 1435-8115
• Published Online: 15 November 2005