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XPS and x‐ray diffraction characterization of thin Co–Al–N alloy films prepared by reactive sputtering deposition
Author(s) -
Asami K.,
Ohnuma S.,
Masumoto T.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
surface and interface analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1096-9918
pISSN - 0142-2421
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9918(199808)26:9<659::aid-sia412>3.0.co;2-z
Subject(s) - x ray photoelectron spectroscopy , sputtering , alloy , deposition (geology) , materials science , diffraction , characterization (materials science) , thin film , x ray , x ray crystallography , metallurgy , analytical chemistry (journal) , chemistry , crystallography , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , optics , physics , environmental chemistry , engineering , paleontology , sediment , biology
Thin (Co 0.8 Al 0.2 ) 100− x N x ( x =0–30 at.%) alloy films prepared by a reactive radio frequency (r.f.) sputtering method were characterized by XPS and x‐ray diffraction (XRD). The film with no nitrogen consisted of a CsCl‐type CoAl metallic compound, while the nitrogen‐containing alloys were composed of very fine AlN and face‐centred cubic (fcc) Co phases. The quantitative XPS analysis under an assumption of uniform distribution of all the elements resulted in much lower concentrations of Co and higher concentrations of Al and N in comparison with the bulk composition for the nitrogen‐containing alloys. By taking account of the granular structure of the alloy films, i.e. the nanoscale particles of fcc Co embedded in the AlN compound, the results of quantitative XPS analysis were explained successfully. Moreover, the thickness of the AlN layer and the size of the fcc Co particles were also able to be estimated under the nanoscale structure models. The results were in good agreement with observation by transmission electron microscopy, especially when a nanostructure model was adopted where nanoscale Co–N particles are dispersed in AlN matrix in a simple cubic‐like arrangement. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.