An electron diffraction and microscopy investigation of quasi-periodic Ta-Al superlattices

Abstract

Abstract Quasi-periodic (Fibonacci sequence) Ta-Al multilayer films were fabricated by magnetron sputtering, and studied by electron and X-ray diffraction. Eleven orders of electron diffraction satellite spots were obtained. Their positions and intensities were in good agreement with the data from X-ray diffraction, and both were in excellent agreement with the theoretical positions predicted by the projection method, k = 2πD −1(n + mτ). Transmission electron microscope studies of the thin film cross-sections showed the well-formed layered structures of Fibonacci sequence Ta-Al superlattices. The films have textures with Ta [110] and Al [111] in the growth direction, and coherent stacking in the quasi-periodic multilayers.