Figure 1

(Color online) Atomic-resolution images (raw data), intensity profiles and a schematic of a typical ${\text{Si}}_3{\text{N}}_4{\text{-SiO}}_2$ interface. The yellow (bright) dotted line in the images marks the interface between the ${\text{Si}}_3{\text{N}}_4$ grain and the amorphous ${\text{SiO}}_2$ film. (a) and (b) show simultaneous Z-contrast and annular bright-field images taken at 120 kV. (c) and (d) show simultaneous Z-contrast and bright-field (contrast inverted) images taken at 300 kV. (e) and (f) show the intensity profiles taken at positions (P1) and (P2) as marked in (d), respectively. (g) Schematic of the ${\text{Si}}_3{\text{N}}_4$ $\left(10\overline{1}0\right)$ prismatic plane in the presence of the IGF film. The Si atoms are represented with blue (dark) circles and the N atoms are shown in red (brighter circles). In bulk ${\text{Si}}_3{\text{N}}_4$ along the [0001] crystallographic orientation, the Si and N atoms form distinct hexagonal structures highlighted by the semi-transparent purple rings. Scale bar is 0.5 nm.Reuse & Permissions

Figure 2

(Color online) Z-contrast image (raw data) of the ${\text{Si}}_3{\text{N}}_4/{\text{SiO}}_2$ interface (middle) and the $\text{N}K$ and $\text{O}K$ edges (sides) extracted from the area scans. The yellow (bright) rectangles on the Z-contrast image highlight the individual scan-areas (horizontal length is not shown at scale but is for illustrative purposes only). Each spectrum gives the average information of the rectangular area of $5.48\times 0.27{\text{nm}}^2$. Scale bar is 0.5 nm.Reuse & Permissions

Figure 3

(Color online) (a) and (b) show the Si L-edge taken at the ${\text{Si}}_3{\text{N}}_4$ and ${\text{SiO}}_2$ interface at six different positions shown in the simultaneously acquired Z-contrast image (d). The $\text{Si}L$ edges from bulk ${\text{Si}}_3{\text{N}}_4$ and ${\text{SiO}}_2$ are also shown for comparison. (c) shows the integrated O/N ratios at the six positions (normalized with respect to their maximum, position 2) acquired from N and O signals. Scale bar in (d) is 0.5 nm. The shown EEL spectra have been background subtracted and correspond to the sum of four neighboring-pixels in the SI data set.Reuse & Permissions