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Uncertainty in measurement of overlayer thickness of thermally oxidized silicon using x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy
Author(s) -
Gross Th.,
Lippitz A.,
Unger W.,
Güttler B.
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 - 10.1002/1096-9918(200012)29:12<891::aid-sia943>3.0.co;2-a
Subject(s) - overlayer , x ray photoelectron spectroscopy , silicon , analytical chemistry (journal) , substrate (aquarium) , inelastic mean free path , materials science , attenuation length , ellipsometry , oxide , chemistry , thin film , electron , optics , nuclear magnetic resonance , mean free path , nanotechnology , optoelectronics , physics , metallurgy , geology , oceanography , chromatography , quantum mechanics
Overlayers of SiO 2 (nominally 4, 6 and 8 nm thick) on silicon, prepared by thermal oxidation, were investigated using x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The thickness of these overlayers was obtained from a measurement of the photoelectron intensities originating from the substrate and the oxide overlayer by applying an appropriate quantitative model. The uncertainty budget of that thickness measurement method is given. The relative combined standard uncertainty of the method was found to be ∼15%. The effective attenuation lengths or the corresponding electron inelastic mean free paths are of considerable importance for both the estimated values of overlayer thickness and combined standard uncertainties. The XPS results were compared with ellipsometry data. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.