Crystallography Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Crystallography, including details on x-ray crystals, techniques, analyses, structures.

Nanogoniometry with scanning force microscopy: a model study of CdTe thin films.

Palacios-Lidón E, Guanter L, Zúñiga-Pérez J, Muñoz-Sanjosé V, Colchero J

Dpto. Física, Facultad de Quimica (Campus Espinardo), Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain.

In this paper scanning force microscopy is combined with simple but powerful data processing to determine quantitatively, on a sub-micrometer scale, the orientation of surface facets present on crystalline materials. A high-quality scanning force topography image is used to determine an angular histogram of the surface normal at each image point. In addition to the known method for the assignment of Miller indices to the facets appearing on the surface, a quantitative analysis is presented that allows the characterization of the relative population and morphological quality of each of these facets. Two different CdTe thin films are used as model systems to probe the capabilities of this method, which enables further information to be obtained about the thermodynamic stability of particular crystallographic facets. The method, which is referred to as nanogoniometry, will be a powerful tool to study in detail the surface of crystalline materials, particularly thin films, with sub-micrometer resolution.

Published 28 February 2007 in Small, 3(3): 474-80.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2005-2008 Crystallography Research Today. All Rights Reserved.