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Accurate Nanoscale Crystallography in Real-Space Using Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 July 2015

J. Houston Dycus ,
Joshua S. Harris ,
Xiahan Sang ,
Chris M. Fancher ,
Scott D. Findlay Open the ORCID record for Scott D. Findlay [Opens in a new window] ,
Adedapo A. Oni ,
Tsung-ta E. Chan ,
Carl C. Koch ,
Jacob L. Jones  and
Leslie J. Allen
...Show all authors
J. Houston Dycus
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
Joshua S. Harris
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
Xiahan Sang
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
Chris M. Fancher
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
Scott D. Findlay
Affiliation:
School of Physics and Astronomy, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
Adedapo A. Oni
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
Tsung-ta E. Chan
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
Carl C. Koch
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
Jacob L. Jones
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
Leslie J. Allen
Affiliation:
School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
Douglas L. Irving
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
James M. LeBeau*
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
*
*Corresponding author. [email protected]
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Abstract

Here, we report reproducible and accurate measurement of crystallographic parameters using scanning transmission electron microscopy. This is made possible by removing drift and residual scan distortion. We demonstrate real-space lattice parameter measurements with <0.1% error for complex-layered chalcogenides Bi2Te3, Bi2Se3, and a Bi2Te2.7Se0.3 nanostructured alloy. Pairing the technique with atomic resolution spectroscopy, we connect local structure with chemistry and bonding. Combining these results with density functional theory, we show that the incorporation of Se into Bi2Te3 causes charge redistribution that anomalously increases the van der Waals gap between building blocks of the layered structure. The results show that atomic resolution imaging with electrons can accurately and robustly quantify crystallography at the nanoscale.

Keywords

scanning transmission electron microscopyatomic resolution spectroscopynanoscale metrologyBi2Te3
Type
Materials Applications and Techniques
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 21 , Issue 4 , August 2015 , pp. 946 - 952
Copyright
© Microscopy Society of America 2015 

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