Spherical aberration correction and exitplane wave function reconstruction: Synergetic tools for the atomic-scale imaging of structural imperfections in semiconductor materials

Abstract

With the availability of resolution boosting and delocalisation minimising techniques, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) forges ahead with respect to the atomic-scale imaging of semiconductor materials. In the present study the benefits accruing from a combination of two state-of-the-art techniques, i.e. spherical aberration correction (SAC) and exit-plane wave function (EPWF) reconstruction, are illustrated by highlighting their combined use for the atomic-scale characterisation of common lattice defects in lattice mismatched as well as ion implanted semiconductor layer systems. Moreover, practical advantages of the retrieval of the EPWF not only for the elimination of residual imaging artefacts but also for the proper orientation of specimens during operation of the electron microscope are demonstrated.