Evaluation of misorientation degree in epitaxial oxide thin films using scanning transmission electron microscopy moiré fringe

Abstract

Crystal orientation is the key aspect of epitaxially grown ceramic thin films because it significantly affects their properties. In this study, the evaluation of thin-film orientation using scanning transmission electron microscopy moiré fringes (SMF) is demonstrated. The SMF result from the combination of the crystal lattice fringes in the bright-field image and raster of the scanned electron beam. As the SMF reflect the crystal orientation against the scanning lines, it is possible to observe the crystal orientation distribution in epitaxial thin films. The accuracy of the orientation degrees measured by the SMF is quantitatively evaluated and discussed. As a typical example of an epitaxial film, an yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) film on a Si(001) substrate is subjected to the SMF method to analyze the misorientation degree through the cross section and plan view observations.