Electron energy-loss spectrometry studies of bonding in nanoscale Ni - Si O 2 multilayers

Electron energy-loss spectrometry in the transmission electron microscope is used to directly assess the nature of bonding at interfaces formed during alternating deposition of nanoscale Ni and Si O 2 multilayers. Interfacial Ni-O bond formation near the interface is revealed by energy-loss near-edge structure preceding the O K edge threshold, indicating hybridization of O 2 p with Ni 3 d orbitals, and by characteristic white line structure associated with the Ni L 2 , 3 edge. Interface spectra are compared to reference NiO spectra, verifying local Ni-O bonding at the Ni ∕ Si O 2 interface.