Departament of Egineering: Electronics

MASTER: Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

SUBJECT: Characterisation and manipulation at the nanoscale

LAB SESSION 4. Data processing

1. SAED

Open program Digital Micrograph. Open file Image1. Spots in this image correspond to a Si substrate.

With centre tool (a circle in a cross) choose two centrosymmetrical spots so that the program can

automatedly find the central spot. Then with spot indexing tool (an angle) explore all the spots in the

diffraction; the program will assign a number to each of them and then the reciprocal space distance

and the real space distance of the corresponding plane family, and the angle to the first spot will

appear in the results window.

With program Carine (Calcul/Identificaction of planes) and the obtained information determine the

zone axis of the Si substrate and index the diffraction (make a figure). The d’s in program Carine will

be similar to the experimental. In order to refine the calibration of the diffraction in Digital Micrograph,

assign the theoretical d’s to the experimental spots using Microscope/Calibrate Image.

Open file Image2. In this case, we have the diffraction corresponding to pollycrystalline Au, that was

already hinted in previous image added to the substrate one. As images 1 and 2 are the diffractions of

the substrate and the layer of the same sample (in PV geometry) and in the same magnification, we

can transfer the calibration from the substrate SAED to the layer SAED (using Difpack/Image/Transfer

Calibration). Find the d’s of the rings and index them with program Carine (Calcul/Plane spacing list).

Present a figure of the indexed diffraction.

2. HRTEM

Now we have a HRTEM image of a Si NW. With program Digital Micrograph, open file Image3. Select a

zone in the NW before its bending with zone selection tool (discontinuous square), keeping “Alt”
 Departament of Egineering: Electronics
MASTER: Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
SUBJECT: Characterisation and manipulation at the nanoscale

pressed so that it will have the proper dimensions. Use Ctrl+F to get its local FFT (digital Fourier

Transform) and index it.

Select a zone in the NW after the bending and get a local FFT. Then index it. Find the growth direction

of the NW before and after the bending.

In one FFT of the NW, choose two centrosymmetrical spots and mask them with the appropriated tool

(two spots separated by central spot) and command “process/apply mask”. What do you find by doing

so? And if repeating the process with another pair of centrosymmetrical spots?