DCN Seminar

Abstract:

Epitaxial metal/semiconductor nitride superlattices and multilayers are known to be used in applications as hard- and thermal- coatings, for thermoelectric-, and plasmonic devices, and hence their microstructure and thermal stability is of high importance. In this talk, dislocation pipe diffusion in nitride superlattices is investigated by direct observation at the atomic level employing STEM and EDS methods. Further, APT has been employed and we’ll discuss the relative advantages of both atomic resolution STEM and APT, by comparing results obtained from the same superlattice sample. Lastly, the controversy of the metal-insulator phase-transition in CrN thin films will be discussed and STEM-EDS results are presented that can explain both the absence and presence of the phase transition in the literature based on microstructural features resulting from the thin film growth.