%0 Journal Article
%T Metastable ultrathin crystal in thermally grown SiO2 film on Si substrate
%A Koji Kimoto
%A Hiroki Tanaka
%A Daisuke Matsushita
%A Kosuke Tatsumura
%J AIP Advances
%D 2012
%I AIP Publishing LLC
%R 10.1063/1.4768269
%X A silicon dioxide film on a silicon substrate is the most essential element in semiconductor devices and various advanced materials. We have elucidated the atomic structure of SiO2 films using low-dose scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). We have visualized a metastable crystalline SiO2 layer near a silicon substrate, which was not revealed in previous studies probably due to the vitrification caused by electron irradiation. Our experimental results also suggest a crystallographic nature of various surface oxides.
%U http://link.aip.org/link/doi/10.1063/1.4768269