Observing the morphology of single-layered embedded silicon nanocrystals by using temperature-stable TEM membranes

• Sebastian Gutsch,
• Daniel Hiller,
• Jan Laube,
• Margit Zacharias and
• Christian Kübel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 964–970, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.99

• thickness and stoichiometry are below a critical value. Keywords: electron irradiation damage; energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy; membrane; plane view; silicon nanocrystals; size control; size distribution; Introduction Si nanocrystals (Si NC) are interesting for applications in third

• Si plasmon loss energy). Results and Discussion Electron irradiation damage First of all, we focus on a more general observation which mainly concerns the thin film instability during the imaging process. In Figure 1a, a TEM micrograph of sample S1 is presented. In the energy-filtered imaging, the Si