Surface microstructure analysis of cubic boron nitride films by transmission electron microscopy

A simple coating technique was introduced to preserve the surface structure of samples for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization, and used to study boron nitride (BN) films. A gold film precoated on the surface of BN films served to protect the BN surface against ion damages during sample preparation, and to separate and distinguish the film surface structure from the TEM glue. The technique enabled the observation of detailed surface microstructures of cubic BN (cBN) films, which provided direct evidences for understanding cBN growth mechanisms. The TEM sample technique is expected to be generally applicable to other film systems, particularly those with an amorphous topmost layer. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.