Energy -Loss Fine Structures at the Si-Gd2O3, Interface

Abstract In recent years, electron energy loss spectroscopy has provided high spatial resolution information on the elemental composition of interfacial reactions. with the use of field emission guns in conventional TEM or STEM, additional information on the chemical, structural and electronic state at grain boundaries and interfaces can also be obtained (e.g. Ref. 1 and 2). in the study of new types of materials for semiconductor applications such as high-K dielectrics, high spatial resolution information of this type is of critical importance as the dimensions of the structures are reduced and the ultimate electronic properties become size dependent. This paper discusses the analysis of near edge structure information obtained at the Si-Gd2O3 interface, a system with great potential for the next generation of gate material. The preparation of the thin films and the sample preparation details are given elsewhere3 and only a summary of the characterization method and results are described here.