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Quantitative analysis of metallic ultra‐thin films by grazing‐exit electron probe x‐ray microanalysis
Author(s) -
Spolnik Z.,
Tsuji K.,
Saito K.,
Asami K.,
Wagatsuma K.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
x‐ray spectrometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.447
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1097-4539
pISSN - 0049-8246
DOI - 10.1002/xrs.522
Subject(s) - electron microprobe , microanalysis , materials science , substrate (aquarium) , silicon , analytical chemistry (journal) , electron probe microanalysis , x ray , detection limit , calibration , calibration curve , thin film , range (aeronautics) , optics , chemistry , optoelectronics , metallurgy , nanotechnology , physics , composite material , oceanography , organic chemistry , chromatography , quantum mechanics , geology
Grazing‐exit electron probe x‐ray microanalysis (GE‐EPMA) was used for the quantitative analysis of films with thicknesses of 10 and 4 nm. First‐order calibration curves were obtained for the determination of Ti and Cr over a wide range of concentrations. The results confirmed that matrix effects are negligible when the film thickness is below some critical value. The minimum detection limits were obtained at the small exit angles (0.75° for the 10 nm thick film on the gold and 0.53° for the 4 nm thick film on the silicon substrate). Detection limits were improved by a factor of 6.5 under grazing exit conditions for the film with a thickness of 10 nm and by a factor of 2 for the film with a thickness of 4 nm, compared with detection limits obtained at 45°. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.