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Updated: Jun 30, 2025

Sample Preparation and Experimental Design for In Situ Multi-Beam Transmission Electron Microscopy Irradiation Experiments
Published on: June 27, 2022
Orientation-dependent oxidation behavior of Cu under In-situ E-Beam irradiation
Weiwei Xia1, Quan An1, Lianyang Chen2
1Shaanxi Materials Analysis and Research Center, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710000, China.
Abstract:
Herein, we present an atomic in-situ investigation of Cu oxidation along different orientations stimulated by high-energy electron beams (E-Beam) in transmission electron microscopy (TEM). By following the microstructural evolution of the Cu substrate in real time, high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) images reveal an orientation-dependent oxidation mechanism, whereby Cu along [110] zone axis migrates onto the surface and be oxidized while Cu along [100] zone axis is oxidized completely both in bulk and at the surface. The different oxidation mechanisms can be attributed to the differing diffusion rates of oxygen in Cu structures along directions. Moreover, the growth of Cu oxides is found to follow a layer-by-layer mechanism, where Cu mostly migrates onto nanocrystal {110} planes. This behavior would lead to the oxides wider in geometric shape and therefore promote the aggregation of adjacent oxides. These findings have important implications for the practical use of copper-based materials in oxidizing environments.
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