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Quantitative evaluation of contributions to interface broadening in metal/silicon multilayers
Author(s) -
Kovač Janez,
Zalar Anton
Publication year - 2004
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/sia.1778
Subject(s) - auger electron spectroscopy , silicon , sputtering , auger , surface finish , materials science , metal , ion , surface roughness , mixing (physics) , analytical chemistry (journal) , thin film , atomic physics , chemistry , optoelectronics , nanotechnology , metallurgy , composite material , nuclear physics , physics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , chromatography
Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) depth profiling is a widely used technique to study buried interfaces in thin‐film structures. It involves a sputtering process that may cause topographical and compositional changes in the surface region of the ion‐bombarded sample. In order to reveal the original in‐depth elemental distribution, it is important to know the influence of the sputtering process. AES depth profiling of Si/Ti, Si/Ni, Si/Nb and Si/W layered structures was performed with 1 and 3 keV Ar + ions at an incidence angle of 47°. The mixing–roughness–information depth (MRI) model was used to estimate different contributions to the interface broadening. A stronger broadening of the metal/Si interfaces than that of the Si/metal interfaces can be explained by ion bombardment induced roughening and mixing of metallic atoms with the silicon ones. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.