Analytical challenges of determining composition and structure in small volumes with applications to semiconductor technology, nanostructures and solid state science

Abstract

Determining the structure and composition of small volumes is vital to the ability to understand and control nanoscale properties and critical for advancing both fundamental science and applications, such as semiconductor device manufacturing. While metrology of nanoscale materials (nanoparticles, nanocomposites) and nanoscale semiconductor structures is challenging, both basic research and cutting edge technology benefit from new and enhanced analytical techniques. This focus issue contains articles describing approaches to overcome the challenges in obtaining statistically significant atomic-scale quantification of structure and composition in a variety of materials and devices using electron microscopy and atom probe tomography.