MateriAlZ Seminar: Anna Regoutz
Friday, November 5, 2021, 11:00 am MST
Anna Regoutz
Imperial College Research Fellow in the Department of Materials
University College London
"Recent developments in Hard X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Applications in Power Electronics"
Zoom link. Passcode: 916888
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Abstract
The characterization of heterogeneous materials presents a challenge for classically surface-sensitive techniques such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Whilst their surface sensitivity is a great asset in many scientific areas, it can present a limitation when the research question demands information on the bulk of a material or on buried layers and interfaces. In the area of photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) the probing depth can be extended using hard X-ray sources with excitation energies above 2 keV rather than the traditional soft X-ray sources. In recent years, hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) has seen extensive development and the advent of extremely bright laboratory sources and X-ray free-electron lasers has extended its remit and accessibility beyond its traditional home at synchrotron sources. This seminar will present the current state-of-the-art technique, outlining opportunities and challenges for materials characterization. Case studies related to power electronic devices will be presented to showcase the ability of HAXPES to aid the characterization of complex materials, from metals to semiconductors and insulators. Three scientific topics will be discussed in detail, including (i) fundamental structure – electronic structure relationships at the surface and in the bulk of ultra-wide band gap Ga2O3, (ii) the behavior of diffusion barriers for copper-based metallization schemes in industrial device design, and (iii) the exploration of defects and their passivation at buried SiC/SiO2 interfaces. HAXPES goes beyond the surface, providing new and exciting avenues for the characterization of complex materials and this seminar will provide inspiration for experienced, novice, and future XPS and HAXPES users.
Bio
Dr. Anna Regoutz received her D. Phil. from the University of Oxford in 2014. She began her independent research career as an Imperial College Research Fellow in 2017 before moving to University College London in 2019. She is a Lecturer in Materials Chemistry at UCL, a CAMS-UK Fellow, and a Visiting Scientist at Diamond Light Source, the UK synchrotron. She was awarded the Joseph Black Award from the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2020 and the element Praseodymium on the Periodic Table of Younger Chemists by IUPAC in 2019. Her group is highly interdisciplinary covering the understanding, discovery, and targeted design of materials for the development of future electronic device generations. A major focus of her work is the development and application of soft and hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy in the area of electronic materials and devices.