title: Nanogoniometry with scanning force microscopy: a model study of CdTe thin films.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Dpto. Física, Facultad de Quimica (Campus Espinardo), Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Palacios-Lidón
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guanter
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zúñiga-Pérez
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Muñoz-Sanjosé
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Colchero
mesh_terms: D019187:Cadmium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D003461:Crystallography / Q000379:methods*; D008422:Materials Testing / Q000379:methods*; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000379:methods*; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D010316:Particle Size; D013499:Surface Properties; D013691:Tellurium / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D019187:Cadmium Compounds; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D013691:Tellurium; C028337:cadmium telluride