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Novel TEM sample preparation using XeF2 selective Etching

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 February 2014

Stefano Filo Ambrosini ,
Leon Bowen ,
Budhika Mendis ,
George Cirlin ,
Alexey Bouravleuv ,
Andrew Gallant ,
Michael Petty ,
Vladimir Dubrovskii  and
Dagou Zeze
Stefano Filo Ambrosini
Affiliation:
Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom St. Petersburg Academic University, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
Leon Bowen
Affiliation:
Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
Budhika Mendis
Affiliation:
Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
George Cirlin
Affiliation:
St. Petersburg Academic University, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
Alexey Bouravleuv
Affiliation:
St. Petersburg Academic University, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
Andrew Gallant
Affiliation:
Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
Michael Petty
Affiliation:
Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
Vladimir Dubrovskii
Affiliation:
St. Petersburg Academic University, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
Dagou Zeze
Affiliation:
Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
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Abstract

We present a new approach to prepare Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) nanowire (NW) samples that addresses the core drawbacks of conventional techniques, which are based on mechanical polishing. The proposed method is time efficient and uses XeF2 isotropic and selective dry etching of Si to remove the host substrate from the NWs, after their embedding into a poly(methyl-methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) data suggest that NWs were grown through the gaps between the parasitic layer islands and that the stems are in direct contact with the Si substrate. This technique does not adversely affect the NWs and offers a convenient means of transferring the GaAs NWs onto other surfaces for post-process TEM analysis. It also offers excellent potential to facilitate their integration into device fabrication via a bottom-up approach, using the PMMA layer as a transfer medium.

Keywords

transmission electron microscopy (TEM)molecular beam epitaxy (MBE)Si
Type
Articles
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1659: Symposium SS/XX – Micro- and Nanoscale Systems – Novel Materials, Structures and Devices , 2014 , pp. 149 - 153
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2014 

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References

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