Characterisation of structured thin films made from complex materials by photoabsorption spectromicroscopy

We used imaging spectromicroscopy to characterise micro-patterned thin films of complex materials such as UPd₂Al₃ and YBa₂Cu₃O₇/PrBa₂Cu₃O ₇. To investigate devices built from these complex materials we applied element-sensitive photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM). Information about the chemical composition of the imaged sample can be obtained by PEEM via tuning the photon energy to X-ray absorption edges. To apply spectromicroscopy we acquired microscopic images using photon energies near and at the edges. Such images give the lateral distribution of a specific element. Microspectroscopy is performed by recording the intensity of the true secondary electrons in selected spots during a sweep of the photon energy. The main aim of our work was to observe oxygen-related defects and changes in the composition affecting the physical properties of the materials. Therefore, we applied both methods to micro-patterned devices using soft-X-ray synchrotron radiation and found that small local defects and chemical differences can be easily detected. Such defects and chemical differences are quite critical to the physical properties of the devices, since they simulate spurious effects thus influencing the reliability of the devices.