Transmission electron microscopy studies of interfaces in multi-component systems

In order to understand the bonding between metals and oxides, interfaces were studied with high-resolution transmission electron microscoy, analytical TEM' in-situ experiments down to an atomic scale and first-principles Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. It was possible to combine HRTEM observations with the analysis of the chemical composition within one monolayer at the metal-oxide interfaces. With in-situ experiments, a detailed visualization of order-disorder transitions on an atomic scale at metal-oxide interfaces could be realized. A computer code was developed to relate HRTEM observations to charge transfer (ionicity) and charge redistribution along metal- oxide interfaces. The interfaces of interest were fabricated by internal oxidation to obtain many small oxide precipitates inside a metal matrix. This method produces many clean interfaces for investigations in each sample and such internally oxidized samples are easy to prepare for transmission electron microscopy