Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-13T04:36:23.927Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Probing the Chemical Structure in Diamond-Based Materials Using Combined Low-Loss and Core-Loss Electron Energy-Loss spectroscopy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 March 2014

Paolo Longo*
Affiliation:
Gatan Inc., 5794, W Las Positas BLVD, Pleasanton, CA 94588, USA
Ray D. Twesten
Affiliation:
Gatan Inc., 5794, W Las Positas BLVD, Pleasanton, CA 94588, USA
Jaco Olivier
Affiliation:
Centre for HRTEM, South Campus, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, 6031, South Africa
*
*Corresponding author.[email protected]
Get access

Abstract

We report the analysis of the changes in local carbon structure and chemistry caused by the self-implantation of carbon into diamond via electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) plasmon energy shifts and core-edge fine structure fingerprinting. These two very different EELS energy and intensity ranges of the spectrum can be acquired under identical experimental conditions and nearly simultaneously using specially designed deflectors and energy offset devices known as “DualEELS.” In this way, it is possible to take full advantage of the unique and complementary information that is present in the low- and core-loss regions of the EELS spectrum. We find that self-implanted carbon under the implantation conditions used for the material investigated in this paper creates an amorphous region with significant sp2 content that varies across the interface.

Type
EDGE Special Issue
Copyright
© Microscopy Society of America 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Berger, S.D., McKenzie, D.R. & Martin, P.J. (1988). EELS analysis of vacuum arc-deposited diamond-like films. Phil Mag Lett 57, 285290.Google Scholar
Bosman, M., Keast, V.J., Watanabe, M., McCulloch, D.G., Shakerzadeh, M., Teo, E.H.T. & Tay, B.K. (2009). Quantitative, nanoscale mapping of sp2 percentage and crystal orientation in carbon multilayers. Carbon 47, 94101.Google Scholar
Bruley, J., Williams, D.B., Cuomo, J.J. & Pappas, D.P. (1995). Quantitative near-edge structure analysis of diamond-like carbon in the electron microscope using a two-window method. J Microsc 180, 2232.Google Scholar
Cuomo, J.J., Doyle, J.P., Bruley, J. & Liu, J.C. (1991). Sputter deposition of dense diamond-like carbon films at low temperature. Appl Phys Lett 58, 466.Google Scholar
Egerton, R.F. (1986). Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy in the Electron Microscope. New York: Plenum Press.Google Scholar
Galvan, D., Pei, Y.T., De Hosson, J.Th.M. & Cavaleiro, A. (2005). Determination of the sp3 C content of a-C films through EELS analysis in the TEM. Surf Coat Technol 200, 739743.Google Scholar
Gubbens, A.J., Barfels, M., Trevor, C., Twesten, R.D., Thomas, P.J., Menon, N., Kraus, B., Mao, C. & McGinn, B. (2010). The GIF Quantum, a next generation post-column imaging energy filter. Ultramicroscopy 110, 962970.Google Scholar
Laffont, L., Monthhiox, M. & Serin, V. (2002). Plasmon as a tool for in situ evaluation of physical properties for carbon materials. Carbon 40, 767780.Google Scholar
Muller, D.A., Tzou, Y., Raj, R. & Silcox, J. (1993). Mapping sp2 and sp3 states at sub-nanometer spatial resolution. Nature 366, 2330.Google Scholar
Robertson, J. (2002). Diamond-like amorphous carbon. Mater Sci Eng Res 37, 129281.Google Scholar
Schmid, H.K. (1995). Phase identification in carbon and BN systems by EELS. Microsc Microanal Microstruct 6, 99111.Google Scholar
Scott, J., Thomas, P.J., Mackenzie, M., McFadzean, S., Craven, A.J. & Nicholson, W.A.P. (2008). Near-simultaneous dual energy range EELS spectrum imaging. Ultramicroscopy 108, 15861594.Google Scholar
Treacy, M.M.J., Gibson, J.M., Short, K.T. & Rice, S.B. (1998). Channeling effects from impurity atoms in the high-angle annular detector of the STEM. Ultramicroscopy 26, 133142.Google Scholar
Yuan, J. & Brown, L.M. (2000). Investigation of atomic structure of diamond-like amorphous carbon by electron energy loss spectroscopy. Micron 31, 515525.Google Scholar