Mapping conductivity with secondary electron EBIC in a STEM

ORAL

Abstract

Recent work has established secondary electron (SE) e-beam induced current (SEEBIC) imaging in a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) as a viable way to image electrical conductivity and connectivity with high spatial resolution. This technique relies on SE emission to generate a current in the sample measured by a transimpedance amplifier. STEM SEEBIC has been shown to be able to reach atomic resolution and can distinguish single layers of graphene. In this talk, I will discuss the basic operational principles of STEM SEEBIC, illustrate its usefulness for examining operando graphene nanodevices, discuss various sources of SEEBIC image contrast, and discuss the role of substrate contributions to the signal. Because STEM SEEBIC does not rely on the collection of primary scattered electrons, this signal can be collected independently and in parallel with other standard STEM-based characterization modalities such as annular dark field (ADF) imaging or electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). This enables a complementary information channel to be acquired which is closely linked to the electron density and electronic properties of the sample.

*This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division (O.D. A.R.L., S.J.), and was performed at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS), a U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science User Facility.

Publication: O. Dyck, J. L. Swett, A. R. Lupini, J. A. Mol, and S. Jesse, "Imaging Secondary Electron Emission from a Single Atomic Layer," Small Methods, vol. 5, no. 4, p. 2000950, 2021, doi: 10.1002/smtd.202000950.
O. Dyck, J. L. Swett, C. Evangeli, A. R. Lupini, J. A. Mol, and S. Jesse, Mapping Conductance and Switching Behavior of Graphene Devices In Situ, Small Methods (under review)
O. Dyck, J. L. Swett, C. Evangeli, A. R. Lupini, J. A. Mol, and S. Jesse, Contrast mechanisms in secondary electron e-beam induced current (SEEBIC) imaging, (in progress)

Presenters

  • Ondrej Dyck

    • ORNL
    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    • Oak Ridge National Lab

Authors

  • Ondrej Dyck

    • ORNL
    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    • Oak Ridge National Lab
  • Jacob Swett

    • ASU
    • Arizona State University
  • Charalambos Evangeli

    • Oxford University
  • Andrew R Lupini

    • Oak Ridge National Lab
  • Jan Mol

    • Queen Mary University of London
  • Stephen Jesse

    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    • University of Tennessee