Determining the Atomic Structure of Sub-Micron Amorphous Thin Films

Amorphous thin films, with thickness in the range of 0.1 to 1 μm, are of interest for use in optical, electronic or sensing devices. The design and optimization choices of such devices are often guided from the knowledge of atomic structure of the amorphous films. Determining the atomic structure of sub-micron thick amorphous films can be difficult. We discuss some of the challenges associated with determining the atomic structure and recommend some methods for building atomic structure models under availability of x-ray or electron scattering data. A focus of the discussion will be on how low-z atomic correlations can be correctly captured in computer models when the scattering data are heavily weighted towards high-z correlations.