Interfaces and defects in opto-electronic semiconductor films studies by atomic resolution stem

摘要

The growth of thin films on dissimilar substrates is of great technological importance for modern optoelectronic devices. However, device applications are currently limited by lattice mismatches between the film and substrate that invariably lead to defects detrimental to device performance. It is therefore of key importance that the mechanisms leading to the formation of these defects are understood on the fundamental atomic level. Correlated atomic resolution Z-contrast imaging and EELS in the STEM is a unique methodology by which this information can be obtained. In this paper, the application of this methodology to determine a novel graphoepitaxial growth mechanism for CdTe on (001)Si is demonstrated, and its potential for the study of GaN is discussed.