title: Comparison of TEM specimen preparation of perovskite thin films by tripod polishing and conventional ion milling.
abstract: In this article, the effects of the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) specimen preparation techniques, such as ion milling and tripod polishing on perovskite oxides for high-resolution TEM investigation, are compared. Conventional and liquid nitrogen cooled ion milling induce a new domain orientation in thin films of SrRuO(3) and LaFeO(3) grown on (001)-oriented SrTiO(3) substrates. This is not observed in tripod-polished specimens. Different ion milling rates for thin films and substrates in cross-section specimens lead to artefacts in the interface region, degrading the specimen quality. This is illustrated by SrRuO(3) and PbTiO(3) thin films grown on (001)-oriented SrTiO(3). By applying tripod polishing and gentle low-angle, low-energy ion milling while cooling the sample, the effects from specimen preparation are reduced resulting in higher quality of the TEM study. In the process of making face-to-face cross-section specimens by tripod polishing, it is crucial that the glue layer attaching the slabs of material is very thin (<50 nm).
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Espen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eberg
authors.forename: Asmund F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Monsen
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tybell
authors.forename: Antonius T J
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: van Helvoort
authors.forename: Randi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Holmestad