Orientational analysis of atomic pair correlations in nanocrystalline indium oxide thin films
The application of grazing-incidence total X-ray scattering (GITXS) for pair distribution function (PDF) analysis using >50 keV X-rays from synchrotron light sources has created new opportunities for structural characterization of supported thin films with high resolution. Compared with grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering, which is only useful for highly ordered materials, GITXS/PDFs expand such analysis to largely disordered or nanostructured materials by examining the atomic pair correlations dependent on the direction relative to the surface of the supporting substrate. A characterization of nanocrystalline In 2 O 3 -derived thin films is presented here with in-plane-isotropic and out-of-plane-anisotropic orientational ordering of the atomic structure, each synthesized using different techniques. The atomic orientations of such films are known to vary based on the synthetic conditions. Here, an azimuthal orientational analysis of these films using GITXS with a single incident angle is shown to resolve the markedly different orientations of the atomic structures with respect to the planar support and the different degrees of long-range order, and hence, the terminal surface chemistries. It is anticipated that orientational analysis of GITXS/PDF data will offer opportunities to extend structural analyses of thin films by providing a means to qualitatively determine the major atomic orientation within nanocrystalline and, eventually, non-crystalline films.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences Division (CSGB); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Scientific User Facilities (SUF)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-06CH11357
- OSTI ID:
- 2251527
- Journal Information:
- IUCrJ, Journal Name: IUCrJ Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 11; ISSN 2052-2525; ISSN IUCRAJ
- Publisher:
- International Union of Crystallography (IUCr)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United Kingdom
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
Chemistry
Crystallography
Materials Science
amorphous materials
atomic layer deposition
conductive thin films
film anisotropy
grazing-incidence diffraction
inorganic chemistry
materials science
orientations
pair distribution functions
total X-ray scattering