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Influence of argon pressure on the depth resolution during GDOES depth profiling analysis of thin films
Author(s) -
Shimizu K.,
Habazaki H.,
Skeldon P.,
Thompson G. E.,
Wood G. C.
Publication year - 2000
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(200002)29:2<155::aid-sia729>3.0.co;2-g
Subject(s) - argon , sputtering , aluminium , impact crater , materials science , analytical chemistry (journal) , resolution (logic) , thin film , glow discharge , amorphous solid , anode , chemistry , optics , plasma , composite material , electrode , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , chromatography , computer science , physics , quantum mechanics , astronomy , artificial intelligence
The influence of Ar pressure on depth resolution during glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES) depth profiling has been examined through the use of 358 nm thick anodic alumina films grown over flat aluminium surfaces. The films are ideal standards for the present purpose, being amorphous and highly uniform in thickness, with a flat and sharply‐defined metal/film interface. The depth resolution is influenced strongly by the Ar pressure, which, in turn, is related to the shapes of the craters generated by cathodic sputtering. For a given power, an optimum Ar pressure results in a flat‐bottomed crater and the highest depth resolution is realized. In the present example, the highest depth resolution, expressed in terms of width of the transition of the aluminium profile at the metal/film interface, i.e. ∼7 nm, was achieved at a pressure gauge voltage of 5.60 V (0.41 mbar) and a power of 40 W. Increase or decrease of Ar pressure from the optimum leads to rapid degradation of depth resolution. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.