An Overview for Fundamental Chemical Characterization Techniques for Thin Films and Nanostructures

Abstract

Today, thin films and nanoscale materials serve as fundamental building blocks for the advancement of technology and technological applications. Understanding and optimizing the performance of these materials relys on chemical and physical characterization techniques. The chemical characteristics of such materials at the atomic and molecular scales is examined through various characterization methods such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy techniques. These methods provide critical information about the material's characteristics, structural features, and chemical composition. In thin film technologies, the physical and chemical characteristics can affect different parameters of nanostructures such as surface morphology, optical and electrical properties. In nanoscale materials, determining and understanding the chemical structure of the materials plays a crucial role, especially in areas such as catalysis, sensor technologies, and nanoelectronics. These characterization techniques offer essential insights to researchers, engineering and industries which involved in designing, producing, and optimizing the performance of materials at the nano level. For the chemical characterization of thin films, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy techniques have been primarily explored for this purpose.