Cathodoluminescence study of off‐stoichiometry and residual stresses in advanced dielectrics and related devices

Abstract

AbstractThe mechanical properties and the functional behavior of inorganic dielectric materials strongly depend on the stoichiometry imbalance in the material and its structural accommodation. Point defect populations are responsible for departures from the normal stoichiometric formula and clear correlations have been documented between the magnitude of the dielectric constant of a compound and the structural mode by which it accommodates its non‐stoichiometry. In this study, we systematically apply the cathodoluminescence (CL) method to local stoichiometry characterizations of advanced silica and barium titanate compounds as paradigm inorganic dielectric materials with amorphous and nanocrystalline structure, respectively. The CL spectral emission is shown here capable not only to clarify the off‐stoichiometric characteristics of dielectric devices, but also to provide a useful probe for assessing the local stress state at the interfaces between the dielectric and the conductor materials.