NANOMETER-SCALE ELECTRON-BEAM PROCESSING AND IN-SITU ATOMIC OBSERVATION OF VACUUM-DEPOSITED MGO FILMS IN HIGH-RESOLUTION TRANSMISSION ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY

Nanometre scale processing was performed on vacuum-deposited single cr ystalline magnesium oxide films by using a nanometre-sized electron be am in high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Two ki nds of processing, drilling and edge-flattening, were demonstrated. Th e resolution of the present processing was demonstrated by the minimum size of the hole being about 4 nm and the minimum distance between ho les being 14 nm. The shape modulation during the processing was observ ed for the first time in situ dynamically at atomic resolution. The dy namic observations in HRTEM showed that the processing is caused by de sorption of constituent atoms from the solid state surface of the magn esium oxide films. It was found that the size of the processing area c ould be controlled at the atomic scale by adjusting the irradialtion t ime during the in situ observation of the processing.