RESOLUTION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY) MICROANALYSIS - INNOVATIVE METHODS

THIN LAYER SEMICONDUCTING DEVICES HAVE LARGE POTENTIAL IN BOTH DEFENSE AND COMMERICAL APPLICATIONS. STRUCTURES BUILT IN THE HGCDTE/ CDTE, ALGAAS AND INGAASP/INP SYSTEMS ARE IN NEED OF INTENSIVE MATERIALS INVESTIGATION. TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY (TEM) AND ITS RELATED TECHNIQUES ARE POWERFUL TOOLS TO REVEAL CRITICAL INTERFACE CHARACTERISTICS, IMPURITY CONCENTRATIONS AND DISTRIBUTIONS, AND VARIOUS LATTICE DEFECTS. THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF PHASE I IS TO INVESTIGATE NEW AND INNOVATIVE METHODS OF PREPARING ELECTRON TRANSPARENT CROSS-SECTIONS IN EPITAXIALLY LAYERED, RELATIVELY DELICATE HGCDTE, ALGAAS AND INGAASP STRUCTURES. WE WILL THEN SURVEY CAREFULLY PREPARED SAMPLES WITH PARTICULAR FOCUS ON REVEALING DIFFICULT TO LOCATE INTERFACE FEATURES. PHASE I WILL INCLUDE: 1. INVESTIGATION OF EPOXY SANDWICH TECHNIQUES. 2. INVESTIGATION OF SOLDER BASED TECHNIQUES. 3. CRITICAL SELECTION OF BEST TECHNIQUE. 4. DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNIQUE AND APPARATUS. 5. APPLICATION OF TECHNIQUE TO LPE, MBE AND MOCVD SAMPLES AND TEM SURVEY OF FEATURES.