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Single and multiple profile fitting of AES and XPS intensity‐depth profiles for analysis of interdiffusion in thin films
Author(s) -
Noah Martin A.,
Flötotto David,
Wang Zumin,
Mittemeijer Eric J.
Publication year - 2014
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.5369
Subject(s) - x ray photoelectron spectroscopy , auger , sputtering , amorphous solid , auger electron spectroscopy , diffusion , analytical chemistry (journal) , thin film , context (archaeology) , photoelectric effect , materials science , chemistry , atomic physics , nuclear magnetic resonance , physics , nanotechnology , optoelectronics , crystallography , paleontology , chromatography , biology , nuclear physics , thermodynamics
Simultaneous fitting of independently measured sputter‐depth profiles of intensities of Auger electrons or photoelectrons from different Auger transitions (AES) or core levels (XPS) is shown to increase the reliability of the thus determined concentration‐depth profiles in diffusion‐annealed thin‐film systems, as compared with the usually applied single profile fitting. In this context, an extension of the Mixing‐Roughness‐Information (MRI) depth model is presented, which includes the concentration dependence of the MRI parameters for mixing and information depth, as well as of the backscattering correction factor and the sputter rate. The thus proposed procedure is applicable for diffusion lengths as small as a few nanometre and was applied to determine the concentration‐dependent self‐diffusion coefficients from measured AES and XPS sputter‐depth profiles recorded from diffusion‐annealed amorphous‐Si/polycrystalline Ge bilayers. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.