Nanoscale wedge polishing of superconducting thin films - an easy way to obtain depth dependent information by surface analysis techniques

作者：Shapoval T^*; Engel S; Gruendlich M; Meier D; Backen E; Neu V; Holzapfel B; Schultz L

来源：Superconductor Science and Technology, 2008, 21(10): 105015.

DOI：10.1088/0953-2048/21/10/105015

A mechanical wedge polishing procedure that offers a simple, cost-effective and rapid way to look into the depth of a thin film with different surface-sensitive scanning techniques has been developed. As an example of its wide applicability, this method was utilized for the investigation of two differently prepared superconducting YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-delta) thin films: an Hf-doped film prepared by chemical solution deposition and an undoped film grown by pulsed laser deposition. Upon polishing, the roughness of the samples was reduced to less than 5 nm (peak-to-valley) without influencing the superconducting properties of the films. Thus, nanoscale polishing opens up a unique possibility for microscopic studies with various surface-sensitive techniques. We demonstrate the successful imaging of flux lines by low temperature magnetic force microscopy after polishing a formerly rough as-prepared film. By applying the wedge polishing procedure to the Hf-doped sample, high resolution electron backscattering diffraction investigations reveal the homogeneous distribution of non-superconducting BaHfO(3) nanoparticles in the whole volume of the film.

• 出版日期2008-10