The real structure and morphology of piezoelectric aluminum nitride (AlN) thin films as essential components of magnetoelectric sensors are investigated via advanced transmission electron microscopy methods. State of the art electron diffraction techniques, including precession electron diffraction and automated crystal orientation mapping (ACOM), indicate a columnar growth of the AlN grains optimized for piezoelectric application with a {0 0 0 1} texture. Comparing ACOM with piezoresponse force microscopy measurements, a visual correlation of the structure and the piezoelectric properties is enabled. With a quantitative analysis of the ACOM measurements, a statistical evaluation of grain rotations is performed, indicating the presence of coincidence site lattices with Σ7, Σ13a, Σ13b, Σ25. Using a geometric phase analysis on high resolution micrographs, the occurrence of strain is detected almost exclusively at the grain boundaries. Moreover, high resolution imaging was applied for solving the atomic structure at stacking mismatch boundaries with a displacement vector of 1/2 ⟨1 0 -1 1⟩. All real structural features can be interpreted via simulations based on crystallographic computing in terms of a supercell approach.
References
1.
W.
Eerenstein
, N. D.
Mathur
, and J. F.
Scott
, Nature
442
, 759
(2006
).2.
C.-W.
Nan
, M. I.
Bichurin
, S.
Dong
, D.
Viehland
, and G.
Srinivasan
, J. Appl. Phys.
103
, 031101
(2008
).3.
M.
Fiebig
, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys.
38
, R123
(2005
).4.
B.
Gojdka
, V.
Hrkac
, J.
Xiong
, M.
Gerken
, L.
Kienle
, T.
Strunskus
, V.
Zaporojtchenko
, and F.
Faupel
, J. Appl. Phys.
112
, 044303
(2012
).5.
S.
Marauska
, R.
Jahns
, H.
Greve
, E.
Quandt
, R.
Knöchel
, and B.
Wagner
, J. Micromech. Microeng.
22
, 065024
(2012
).6.
H.
Greve
, E.
Woltermann
, R.
Jahns
, S.
Marauska
, B.
Wagner
, R.
Knöchel
, M.
Wuttig
, and E.
Quandt
, Appl. Phys. Lett.
97
, 152503
(2010
).7.
G.
Srinivasan
, E. T.
Rasmussen
, B. J.
Levin
, and R.
Hayes
, Phys. Rev. B
65
, 134402
(2002
).8.
E.
Quandt
, S.
Stein
, and M.
Wuttig
, Trans. Magn.
41
, 3667
(2005
).9.
R.
Jahns
, H.
Greve
, E.
Woltermann
, E.
Lage
, E.
Quandt
, and R.
Knöchel
, in IEEE International Workshop on Medical Measurements and Applications Proceedings (MeMeA), Bari, Italy, 30–31 May 2011
(IEEE, 2011
), pp.107
–110
. 10.
E.
Lage
, C.
Kirchof
, V.
Hrkac
, L.
Kienle
, R.
Jahns
, R.
Knöchel
, E.
Quandt
, and D.
Meyners
, Nature Mater.
11
, 523
(2012
).11.
B.
Gojdka
, R.
Jahns
, K.
Meurisch
, H.
Greve
, R.
Adelung
, E.
Quandt
, and F.
Faupel
, Appl. Phys. Lett.
99
, 223502
(2011
).12.
S.
Baillet
, J. C.
Mosher
, and R. M.
Leahy
, IEEE Signal Process. Mag.
18
, 14
(2001
).13.
F.
Bernardini
, V.
Fiorentini
, and D.
Vanderbilt
, Phys. Rev. B
56
, R10024
(1997
).14.
I.
Vurgaftman
, J. R.
Meyer
, and L. R.
Ram-Mohan
, J. Appl. Phys.
89
, 5815
(2001
).15.
V.
Fuflyigin
, E.
Salley
, A.
Osinsky
, and P.
Norris
, Appl. Phys. Lett.
77
, 3075
(2000
).16.
P.
Muralt
, J. Am. Ceram. Soc.
91
, 1385
(2008
).17.
A.
Andrei
, K.
Krupa
, M. L.
Jozwik
, P.
Delobelle
, L.
Hirsinger
, C.
Gorecki
, L.
Nieradko
, and C.
Meunier
, Sens. Actuators, A
141
, 565
(2008
).18.
P.
Muralt
, J.
Antifakos
, M.
Cantoni
, R.
Lanz
, and F.
Martin
, in Proceedings of the 2005 IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 18–21 September 2005
(IEEE, 2005
), Vol. 1
, pp. 315
–320
.19.
I. L.
Guy
, S.
Muensit
, and E. M.
Goldys
, Appl. Phys. Lett.
75
, 4133
(1999
).20.
S. H.
Lee
, J. K.
Lee
, and K. H.
Yoon
, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A
21
, 1
(2003
).21.
F.
Martin
, P.
Muralt
, and M. A.
Dubois
, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A
24
, 946
(2006
).22.
A.
Rodriguez-Navarro
, W.
Otano-Rivera
, J. M.
Garcia-Ruiz
, and R.
Messier
, J. Mater. Res.
12
, 1850
(1997
).23.
J.
Olivares
, S.
González-Castilla
, M.
Clement
, A.
Sanz-Hervás
, L.
Vergara
, J.
Sangrador
, and E.
Iborra
, Diamond Relat. Mater.
16
, 1421
(2007
).24.
M. A.
Dubois
and P.
Muralt
, J. Appl. Phys.
89
, 6389
(2001
).25.
R.
Lanz
, C.
Lambert
, L.
Senn
, L.
Babathiler
, and G. J.
Reynolds
, in IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium, Vancouver, Canada, 2–6 October 2006
(IEEE, 2006
), p. 1481
. 26.
U.
Schürmann
, V.
Duppel
, S.
Buller
, W.
Bensch
, and L.
Kienle
, Cryst. Res. Technol.
46
, 561
(2011
).27.
E. F.
Rauch
, M.
Veron
, J.
Portillo
, D.
Bultreys
, Y.
Maniette
, and S.
Nicolopoulos
, Microsc. Anal.
22
, S5
(2008
).28.
M.
Watanabe
and D. B.
Williams
, Microsc. Microanal.
13
, 962
(2007
).29.
A.
Kobler
, A.
, Kashiwar
, H.
Hahn
, and C.
Kübel
, Ultramicroscopy
128
, 68
(2013
).30.
M. J.
Hÿtch
, E.
Snoeck
, and R.
Kilaas
, Ultramicroscopy
74
, 131
(1998
).31.
M. J.
Hÿtch
and F.
Houdellier
, Microelectron. Eng.
84
, 460
(2007
).32.
V. B.
Özdöl
, C. T.
Koch
, and P.
van Aken
, J. Appl. Phys.
108
, 056103
(2010
).33.
J. P.
Hirth
and J.
Lothe
, Theory of Dislocations
, 2nd ed. (Krieger
, Malabar, FL
, 1992
).34.
E.
Sarigiannidou
, E.
Monroy
, B.
Daudi
, J. L.
Rouvière
, and A. D.
Andreev
, Appl. Phys. Lett.
87
, 203112
(2005
).35.
S.
Marauska
, V.
Hrkac
, T.
Dankwort
, R.
Jahns
, H. J.
Quenzer
, R.
Knöchel
, L.
Kienle
, and B.
Wagner
, Microsyst. Technol.
18
, 787
(2012
).36.
P. A.
Stadelmann
, Ultramicroscopy
21
, 131
(1987
).37.
R.
Kilaas
, J. Microsc.
190
, 45
(1998
).38.
V. B.
Özdöl
, Ph.D. thesis, University of Kiel, Germany
, 2011
;39.
B. J.
Rodriguez
, A.
Gruverman
, A. I.
Kingon
, and R. J.
Nemanich
, J. Cryst. Growth
246
, 252
(2002
).40.
See supplementary material at http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4905109 for electron diffraction simulations, HRTEM micrographs of the AlN/PT interface, superposition effects in HRTEM, a complete supercell approach and evaluation for stacking mismatch boundaries, GPA studies for defects and grain boundaries within AlN.
41.
A.
Artieda
, M.
Barbieri
, C. S.
Sandu
, and P.
Muralt
, J. Appl. Phys.
105
, 024504
(2009
).42.
V.
Hrkac
, L.
Kienle
, S.
Kaps
, A.
Lotnyk
, Y. K.
Mishra
, U.
Schürmann
, V.
Duppel
, D. V.
Lotsch
, and R.
Adelung
, J. Appl. Cryst.
46
, 396
(2013
).43.
L.
Sagalowicz
, G. R.
Fox
, M. A.
Dubois
, C. A. P.
Muller
, P.
Muralt
, and N.
Setter
, J. Eur. Ceram. Soc.
19
, 1427
(1999
).44.
F.
Engelmark
, G. F.
Iriarte
, I. V.
Katardjiev
, M.
Ottosson
, P.
Muralt
, and S.
Berg
, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A
19
, 2664
(2001
).45.
J. L.
Rouviere
, M.
Arlery
, B.
Daudin
, G.
Feulliet
, and O.
Briot
, Mater. Sci. Eng. B
50
, 61
(1997
).46.
Z. J.
Reitmeier
, S.
Einfeldt
, R. F.
Davis
, X.
Zhang
, X.
Fang
, and S.
Mahajan
, Acta Mater.
58
, 2165
(2010
).47.
Y.
Xin
, P. D.
Borwn
, C. J.
Humphreys
, T. S.
Cheng
, and C. T.
Foxon
, Appl. Phys. Lett.
70
, 1308
(1997
).48.
C.
Hecht
, F.
Stadler
, P. J.
Schmidt
, J.
Schmedt auf der Günne
, V.
Baumann
, and W.
Schnick
, Chem. Mater.
21
, 1595
(2009
).49.
U.
Schürmann
, V.
Hrkac
, S.
Marauska
, A.
Petraru
, V.
Duppel
, V. S. K.
Chakravadhanula
, C.
Kübel
, B.
Wagner
, B.
Kohlstedt
, and L.
Kienle
, in MC 2013, Regensburg, Germany, 25–30 August 2013
, edited by R.
Rachel
, J.
Schröder
, R.
Witzgall
, and J.
Zweck
(University of Regensburg
, Regensburg
, 2013
).50.
V.
Lebedev
, K.
Tonisch
, F.
Niebelschütz
, V.
Cimalla
, D.
Cengher
, I.
Cimalla
, Ch.
Mauder
, S.
Hauguth
, O.
Ambacher
, F. M.
Morales
, J. G.
Lozano
, and D.
González
, J. Appl. Phys.
101
, 054906
(2007
).51.
C. M.
Drum
, Philos. Mag. A
11
, 313
(1965
).52.
J. F.
Northrup
, Physica B
273
, 130
(1999
).53.
Y.
Yan
, M.
, Terauchi
, and M.
Tanaka
, Philos. Mag. A
75
, 1005
(1997
).54.
J.
Jasinski
, Z.
Liliental-Weber
, Q. S.
Paduano
, and D. W.
Weyburne
, Appl. Phys. Lett.
83
, 2811
(2003
).55.
N.-E.
Lee
, R. C.
Powell
, Y.-W.
Kim
, and J. E.
Greene
, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A
13
, 2293
(1995
).56.
P.
Vermaut
, P.
Ruterana
, G.
Nouet
, and H.
Morkoc
, Philos. Mag. A
75
, 239
(1997
).57.
E. F.
Rauch
and M.
Veron
, Mater. Sci. Eng. Technol.
36
, 552
(2005
). 58.
W.
Qian
, M.
Skowrosnki
, M.
De Graaf
, K.
Doverspike
, L. B.
Rowland
, and D. K.
Gaskill
, Appl. Phys. Lett.
66
, 1252
(1995
).59.
D. H.
Warrington
, J. Phys. Colloques
36
, C4-87
(1975
).60.
A.
Ostapovets
, P.
Molnar
, A.
Jäger
, and P.
Lejcek
, in Nanocon 2012, Brno, Czech Republic, 23–25 October 2012
.61.
G. L.
Bleris
, G.
Nouet
, S.
Hagège
, and P.
Delavignette
, Acta Crystallogr., Sect. A
38
, 550
(1982
).62.
R.
Bonnet
, E.
Cousineau
, and D. H.
Warrington
, Acta Crystallogr., Sect. A
37
, 184
(1981
).63.
D. G.
Brandon
, Acta Metall.
14
, 1479
(1966
).64.
G.
Wilde
, J.
Ribbe
, G.
Reglitz
, M.
Wegner
, H.
Rösner
, Y.
Estrin
, M.
Zehetbauer
, D.
Setman
, and S.
Divinski
, Adv. Eng. Mater.
12
, 758
(2010
).65.
H.
Rösner
, C.
Kübel
, Y.
Ivanisenko
, L.
Kurmanaeva
, S. V.
Divinski
, M.
Peterlechner
, and G.
Wilde
, Acta Mater.
59
, 7380
(2011
).66.
V.
Darakchieva
, J.
Birch
, M.
Schubert
, T.
Paskova
, S.
Tungasmita
, G.
Wagner
, A.
Kasic
, and B.
Monemar
, Phys. Rev. B
70
, 045411
(2004
).67.
J. L.
Taraci
, M. J.
Hytch
, T.
Clement
, P.
Peralta
, M. R.
McCartney
, J.
Drucker
, and S. T.
Picraux
, Nanotechnology
16
, 2365
(2005
).© 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.
2015
AIP Publishing LLC
You do not currently have access to this content.
