Metallic multilayers

Plasmon imaging and in-situ TEM of metal alloy-reactions

In a nutshell: Within the field of metallic nanocomposite systems, a series of metallic multilayer thin film samples have been studied with respect to two aspects:

(i) Study of novel plasmon-energy-loss EELS mapping techniques for the optimal chemical mapping of the multilayer cross-sections. In particular, a 2-parameter mapping technique including plasmon-peak centre energy and 2nd-derivative of plasmon-peak shape is proposed and demonstrated on Al-Cu and W-WO3 systems.

(ii) Study of metal-metal reactions in-situ via life video recording in TEM. The formation of intermetallic phases in Al-Cu and Al-Cu-Ti systems is explored and new phases identified by means of EDX mapping and HRTEM. Patterned modes of dual-phase microstructures from non-stoichiometric layer thicknesses of Al-Cu-Ti are discovered.

Published in:

• J. Mater. Res., 25 1196-1203 (2010)

• Microscopy Microanalysis 15, 54-61 (2009)

• Phys.stat.sol. (RRL) 2, 1 , 7-9 (2008)