| AVS 66th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Applied Surface Science Division | Tuesday Sessions |
| Session AS+BI+RA-TuM |
| Session: | Quantitative Surface Analysis III/Other Surface Analysis Methods |
| Presenter: | Sarah Coultas, Kratos Analytical Limited, UK |
| Authors: | S.J. Coultas, Kratos Analytical Limited, UK J.D.P. Counsell, Kratos Analytical Limited, UK N. Gerrard, Kratos Analytical Limited, UK C.J. Blomfield, Kratos Analytical Limited, UK C. Moffitt, Kratos Analytical Limited T. Conard, IMEC, Belgium |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
The application of thin film technology is of commercial importance across a range of industries and is commonly used to influence both the physical and chemical properties of bulk materials. Ranging in thickness from tens of Angstroms to microns, their applications are used across a broad range of disciplines including the semiconductor, biomaterial and energy harvesting industries. Herein, we provide a multi-technique investigation of layered thin film and ultra-thin film coatings using a model system for gate oxide structures. The combination of techniques allows one to build a complete picture of the chemistry of these materials and how subtle differences in chemistry and stoichiometry can influence the properties of a substrate to enhance its application specificity.
X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) was used to characterize the surface chemistry of these layered thin film materials. Using monochromated Al-Kα (1486.6 eV) X-rays, it was possible to gain quantitative chemical information from the uppermost 10 nm of the surface. In this study, we illustrate how angle-resolved XPS (ARXPS) can be used as a more surface sensitive approach to probe only the topmost 1-3 nm, and how one can utilize maximum entropy modelling (MEMS) to recreate a concentration depth profile from the resulting data.
In contrast to increased surface sensitivity, high energy excitation sources can be used to extend the analysis depth of a material to >15 nm. Here, we describe the use of a monochromated Ag-Lα (2984.2 eV) X-rays to delve deeper into the bulk structure. In combination with ARXPS, the greater excitation energy and increased analysis depth allows one to measure elemental core levels which are not accessible using the conventional Al-Kα source. In light of this, one can build a more detailed description of the structure of these thin film materials and their use in relevant applications.