Gatan Holds First-ever MonoCL User Group Meeting in Germany

The first MonoCL users meeting was hosted by the Zentrum fur Werkstoffanalytik Lauf (ZWL) laboratory in a town called Lauf, near Nurnberg in Germany on April 10-11th 2003. The meeting consisted of invited talks complementing hands on demonstrations of the latest improvements and products offered by Gatan. Moreover, with everyone staying at the same hotel, the meals provided a ample time for exchange of ideas and was an enjoyable and worthwhile experience for all.

This relatively new laboratory offers advanced characterisation services to a growing, and wide variety of industries specializing in ceramics applications. The 1530 VP LEO FEGSEM is equipped with both a Gatan Alto 2500 Cryotransfer system together with a MonoCL3 / HSPMT system. The cold stage is shared between both applications. For this meeting, the MonoCL3 system was upgraded to a full XiCLone system, thus allowing users to understand spectrum imaging first hand. The microscope was operated in full vacuum and VP mode to allow microscopy of insulating specimens under various excitation conditions. Gatan's new SmartEBIC product was installed and demonstrated on the 1525VP microscope in the neighbouring room.

The user group included people who have Cathodoluminescence systems from Gatan (and ex-Oxford Instruments) of varying vintages. Invited CL talks were given by Dr. M. Albrecht from University of Erlangen, Dr. U. Jahn from the Paul Drude Institute in Berlin, Dr. J. Schreiber from University of Halle, and by Dr. S. Galloway, Product Manager for CL / EBIC at Gatan UK.

Dr. Albrecht provided a unique insight into recent high spatial resolution STEM CL results obtained using a MonoCL2 system with additional IR capabilities installed on a 300kV STEM. The talk focused on dislocations, short range ordering and inversion domain pyramids in the AlInGaN (Mg) alloy system, and balanced the unique capabilities with the significant challenges using this technique.

Dr. Jahn complemented this with SEM results of advanced CL studies in heterostructure and quantum well devices. Dr Jahn presented results showing evidence of electronic coupling between neighbouring quantum wire and quantum dot structures. Also, results showing wavelength shifts and quantumefficiency changes as a function of screening effects (piezo electric, depletion region and injected density) were presented for nitride alloy quantum well systems. In such studies, subtle changes in the CL emission strength and wavelength tell a powerful story concerning the electronic structure of the materials at the quantum level.

Dr. Schreiber also presented CL results from compound semiconductor materials (CdTe, GaAs, ZnO). However, the theme was completely different with fascinating movies being shown of dislocations spreading from indentations and scratches. The dislocations were generated and moved in response to stresses and the stimulating effect of electron beam induced recombination events. In such materials system with high quantum efficiencies, CL movies help understand the complex world of dislocation dynamics in a new light.

Dr. Simon Galloway presented information on recent improvements in the Gatan CL and cold stage product range, including the new SmartEBIC product.

We appreciate the feedback from those involved in this event, which we hope will be the first of many. Future CL User Group meetings may include users or those interested to learn more from world regions, as well as a variety of backgrounds and experience levels. Gatan looks forward to expanding this rewarding format in the future, so stay tuned!

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For more information on Zentrum fur Werkstoffanalytik Lauf (ZWL) laboratory visit http://www.werkstoffanalytik.de/

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