Lift-off protocols for thin films for improved extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements are presented. Using wet chemical etching of the substrate or the interlayer between the thin film and the substrate, stand-alone high-quality micrometer-thin films are obtained. Protocols for the single-crystalline semiconductors GeSi, InGaAs, InGaP, InP and GaAs, the amorphous semiconductors GaAs, GeSi and InP and the dielectric materials SiO2 and Si3N4 are presented. The removal of the substrate and the ability to stack the thin films yield benefits for EXAFS experiments in transmission as well as in fluorescence mode. Several cases are presented where this improved sample preparation procedure results in higher-quality EXAFS data compared with conventional sample preparation methods. This lift-off procedure can also be advantageous for other experimental techniques (e.g. small-angle X-ray scattering) that benefit from removing undesired contributions from the substrate.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1107/S0909049513005049 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Interfacial Strain-Driven Large Topological Hall Effects in Supermalloy Thin Films with Noncoplanar Spin Textures.
ACS Appl Mater Interfaces
January 2025
School of Physical Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, 2A & 2B Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700032, India.
Materials exhibiting topological transport properties, such as a large topological Hall resistivity, are crucial for next-generation spintronic devices. Here, we report large topological Hall resistivities in epitaxial supermalloy (NiFeMo) thin films with [100] and [111] orientations grown on single-crystal MgO (100) and AlO (0001) substrates, respectively. While X-ray reciprocal maps confirmed the epitaxial growth of the films, X-ray stress analyses revealed large residual strains in the films, inducing tetragonal distortions of the cubic NiFeMo unit cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHigh-Performance Hydrogen Sensing at Room Temperature via Nb-Doped Titanium Oxide Thin Films Fabricated by Micro-Arc Oxidation.
Nanomaterials (Basel)
January 2025
Guangdong Key Laboratory of Materials and Equipment in Harsh Marine Environment, School of Ocean Engineering, Guangzhou Maritime University, Guangzhou 510725, China.
Metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) hydrogen sensors offer advantages, such as high sensitivity and fast response, but their challenges remain in achieving low-cost fabrication and stable operation at room temperature. This study investigates Nb-doped TiO (NTO) thin films prepared via a one-step micro-arc oxidation (MAO) with the addition of NbO nanoparticles into the electrolyte for room-temperature hydrogen sensing. The characterization results revealed that the incorporation of NbO altered the film's morphology and phase composition, increasing the Nb content and forming a homogeneous composite thin film.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComprehensive Structural, Chemical, and Optical Characterization of CuZnSnS Films on Kapton Using the Automated Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction Method.
Nanomaterials (Basel)
January 2025
Tecnológico Nacional de México Campus Tuxtla, Carretera Panamericana Km 1080, Tuxtla Gutiérrez C.P. 29050, Mexico.
This study provides a comprehensive structural, chemical, and optical characterization of CZTS thin films deposited on flexible Kapton substrates via the Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) method. The investigation explored the effects of varying deposition cycles (40, 60, 70, and 80) and annealing treatments on the films. An X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis demonstrated enhanced crystallinity and phase purity, particularly in films deposited with 70 cycles.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEffects of Iron Impurities and Content on Electrochemical Performance and Oxygen Evolution Selectivity of Nickel Catalysts for Ethanol Oxidation.
J Am Chem Soc
January 2025
SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, United States of America.
Although performance enhancements due to trace Fe incorporation into Ni catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) have been well documented, the effects of trace versus bulk Fe incorporation into Ni catalysts for the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR)─a promising anodic alternative to OER─are unclear. Herein, we perform extensive cyclic voltammetry experiments on Ni-based thin films to show that trace Fe incorporation from electrolyte impurities has a minimal impact on EOR performance, while codeposited Fe significantly suppresses catalytic current (by half at 1.5 V).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Effect of Ga-Ion Irradiation on Sub-Micron-Wavelength Spin Waves in Yttrium-Iron-Garnet Films.
Nanotechnology
January 2025
Technische Universität München School of Computation Information and Technology, Hans-Piloty-Strasse 1, 85748 Garching bei Muenchen, Munich, 85748, GERMANY.
We investigate the effect of focused-ion-beam (FIB) irradiation on spin waves with sub-micron wavelengths in Yttrium-Iron-Garnet (YIG) films. Time-resolved scanning transmission X-ray (TR-STXM) microscopy was used to image the spin waves in irradiated regions and deduce corresponding changes in the magnetic parameters of the film. We find that the changes of Gairradiation can be understood by assuming a few percent change in the effective magnetizationof the film due to a trade-off between changes in anisotropy and effective film thickness.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!