AVS 50th International Symposium
    QSA-10 Topical Conference Tuesday Sessions
       Session QS-TuP

Paper QS-TuP10
Comparison of Model Predictions and Experimental Measurements of Linescans Across an Interface by Auger Electron Spectroscopy

Tuesday, November 4, 2003, 5:30 pm, Room Hall A-C

Session: Aspects of Quantitative Surface Analysis
Presenter: S.A. Wight, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Authors: S.A. Wight, National Institute of Standards and Technology
C.J. Powell, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Correspondent: Click to Email
In order to determine the lateral resolution in scanning Auger microscopy of a practical sample, measurements and simulations have been made of variations in Auger signals across a selected interface. The interface for these experiments consisted of a selected line of chromium oxide over chromium on an indium-tin oxide coated quartz substrate. Auger electron spectra were collected between 300 eV and 600 eV as the beam was stepped across the interface in a direction perpendicular to the interface. The spectra at each point in the linescan were then processed to extract the relative contributions of the spectra for the two materials measured far from the interface. The normalized data were plotted against beam position on the sample to visualize the sharpness of the interface and to obtain a measure of the lateral resolution for the Auger signals. This procedure was repeated for multiple accelerating voltages of the primary electron beam. The experimental linescans were compared with simulated linescans for an ideal interface based on a simple model that represents contributions to the Auger signal from ionizations caused by the primary electrons and backscattered electrons. Preliminary results show qualitative agreement. We also show that the radius of the analysis area varies appreciably with parameters describing the Auger signal due to backscattered electrons.