SYNTHESIS OF ANALYTICAL AND HIGH-RESOLUTION TRANSMISSION ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY TO DETERMINE THE INTERFACE STRUCTURE OF CU AL2O3/

The structure of Cu/Al2O3 interfaces has been studied by high-resoluti on transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and analytical TEM. The us e of electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) in the determination of the local coordinations and bonding mechanisms at the interface is sho wn to be an essential extension for atomic structure evaluation by qua ntitative high-resolution TEM. A refined atomic model of the Cu/Al2O3 interface is then retrieved by iterative digital image matching. Multi ple scattering calculations based on this model are vital to explain t he interface specific components in the EELS O-K edge. The atomistic c onfiguration at the interface is described by a structure model with C u-O bonds across the interface.