Hi,
I am trying to analyze TiAlN coating structure through SEM. These coatings are deposited on a Silicium Wafer. These wafers are broken into parts before one can see the cross-section. Unfortunately due to unavailability of an inline detector I am unable to see a clear structure of these coatings. The SE detector does not allow to make clear images of these coatings. Later I have coated these TiAlN coatings with a thin Gold layer (2-10nn) to improve the conductivity of these coatings but unfortunately did not get better results. Here I would like to ask for a suitable preparation method for TiAlN coatings so that I can see them through SE detector.
Thanks
Is the substate material well grounded? so that there is no charging effects?
I believe that it is well grounded. As I have no such problems with other specimen.
Please describe the expected Nano structural morphology of the sample in further details along with other processing history.
Are you expecting a columnar structure? Have you idea of the crystalline structure of the film?
If you are using a good scanning electron microscope and you have cover the sample with a thin gold layer, you should contemplate the possibility of having not structure in your films.
I am expecting a columnar structure. First XRD measurements show a combined mixtúre of TiN and AlN phases. I can see the the coating thickness of about 1.63µm in REM but unfortunately cannot take an SEM image at high resolutions.
- "First XRD measurements show a combined mixtúre of TiN and AlN phases". Do post your data and details of XRD technique used.
- Substrate? "Silicium Wafer" Do you mean Si (silicon) wafer? What orientation?
- What growth method?
- "Unfortunately due to unavailability of an inline detector I am unable to see a clear structure of these coatings." What does this mean? What is "inline detector" detector? What cost, typically?
- "Later I have coated these TiAlN coatings with a thin Gold layer (2-10nn) to improve the conductivity of these coatings but unfortunately did not get better results." This may be verified besides other surface Nano structural details prior to "These wafers are broken into parts before one can see the cross-section" using NDE XRD techniques like XRR, GISAXS, etc :-)
- "I can see the the coating thickness of about 1.63µm in REM". What was the sampling area and which part of the wafer w.r.t. wafer center? What is REM?
- Expected "columnar structure" height & spacing?
- What is the practical application/implication of your research efforts?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/85210325@N04/10242907544/in/album-72157645018820696/
1. Could you specify, what you were trying to analyze? Structure/chemical composition/phase composition/thickness/...?
2. What was the size of the Si wafers, where the coatings are deposited at? If they are small enough, you may consider carrying out a KaloMax(R) test with the diamond suspension to make a crater on the surface of the coated wafer, such as done in [1], p. 78.
3. In principle, fracture surfaces may also be analyzed, as described in [1], p. 53. Not to be blamed later, I must specify in your case much depends on orientation of the structure in the Si wafers and coating's adhesion to them.
[1] A. Gregor. Hard PVD Coatings for Tooling. PhD thesis, Tallinn University of Technology, TUT press, Tallinn, 2009. Available at http://digi.lib.ttu.ee/i/?495 .
Hi Andrei,
I am trying to analyze Structure of the coatings. The coating thickness is about 1 µm which I can find out through SEM analysis but a high quality stuctural image is not really possible with a SE detector.
Thank you for the inks. I will try to follow them and find a possible solution for my problem.
Thanks
Naveed
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