In situ coupling of atomic force microscopy and sub-micrometer focused X-ray techniques
- PDF / 709,224 Bytes
- 6 Pages / 595 x 842 pts (A4) Page_size
- 5 Downloads / 161 Views
In situ coupling of atomic force microscopy and sub-micrometer focused X-ray techniques Thomas W. Cornelius1, Zhe Ren1, Francesca Mastropietro1, Simon Langlais2, Anton Davydok1, Marie-Ingrid Richard1, 3, Maxime Dupraz2, Marc Verdier2, Guillaume Beutier2, Peter Boesecke3, Olivier Thomas1 1 Aix Marseille University, CNRS, IM2NP UMR 7334, 13397 Marseille Cedex, France 2 SIMaP, Grenoble Institute of Technology & CNRS, 38402 Saint-Martin d'Hères Cedex, France. 3 European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), 38043 Grenoble Cedex, France ABSTRACT A scanning force microscope for in situ nanofocused X-ray studies (SFINX) has been developed which can be installed on diffractometers at synchrotron beamlines allowing for the combination with various techniques such as coherent X-ray diffraction and fluorescence. The capabilities of this device are demonstrated on Cu nanowires and on Au islands grown on sapphire (0001). The sample topography, crystallinity, and elemental distribution of the same area are investigated by recording simultaneously an AFM image, a scanning X-ray diffraction map, and a fluorescence map. Additionally, the mechanical response of Au islands is studied by in situ indentation tests employing the AFM-tip and recording 2D X-ray diffraction patterns during mechanical loading. INTRODUCTION In recent years, low-dimensional materials have attracted enormous attention because oftheir extraordinary properties compared to their bulk counterparts as well as their possible application in future nanoscale devices. When the object size becomes comparable with intrinsic length scales, finite-size and quantum size effects occur influencing the object’s properties. For instance, the mechanical behavior of micro- and sub-micrometer structures was shown to be strongly influenced by their size. Numerous compression tests on fcc micropillars prepared by focused ion beam (FIB) milling evidenced an increase of the yield strength with decreasing specimen size. This trend became known in literature as “smaller is stronger” [1]. However, asgrown micropillars as well as nanowires exhibit a strength which is close to the theoretical limit of the respective material [2, 3]. To shed additional light on this controversy and to improve the understanding of the mechanical behavior of low-dimensional materials, in situ techniques are desirable. Several instruments for in situ mechanical tests in scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopes (TEM) as well as in combination with microfocused X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods have been recently developed [4- 9]. While SEM is a surface sensitive tool giving access only to defects which exit at the sample surface such as glide planes, in situ TEM studies allow for imaging the creation of defects and dislocations and their evolution during mechanical deformation. However, electron transparent samples are necessary for TEM investigations, whose preparation usually involves thinning of the sample, for instance by FIB milling. This may alter the specimen microstructure and, thus, affect it
Data Loading...
