Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED)-Spot Profile Analysis and Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) have been used to study the response of Mo(100) single crystal surfaces to Q-switched, frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser pulses. The experiments were conducted in a special ultra-high vacuum (UHV) system which allowed the surfaces to be irradiated under controlled conditions. Laser fluences both above and below the melt threshold were employed. For the melted surfaces, good epitaxial regrowth was observed. The spot profile analysis indicates the formation of random islands on the surfaces. Surfaces which had been previously disordered by 3 KeV Ar+ implantation were laser surface melted and observed to regrow epitaxially as has been observed in the case of ion implanted silicon. The formation of the islands and stepped structures is explained by considering the activation of dislocation sources by the induced thermal stresses resulting in slip.

Nolybenum and tungsten metals have been grown on an MBE grown (100)GaAs at various substrate temperatures. RHEED technique was used in situ to analyse the crystalline structure and the growth mechanism of the mechanism of the thin metal films. It was found that Mo epilayers can be grown on the (100) GaAs at temperatures between 150–400°C. The epitaxal arrangement is (111)Mo || (100)GaAs with [011]Mo || [011] GaAs. Tungsten films are not growing epitaxially under similar experimental conditions.

XPS was used to determine core-level binding energies and valence-band structure for TaCx over the range 0.5 ≲ × ≲ 1.0. As x decreased, the carbonls binding energy (BE) changed very little, the carbon-2s BE shifted toward the Fermi level, the position of the p-d valence-band peak shifted toward the Fermi level more, and the tantalum-4d and -4f BE's shifted toward the Fermi level even more, about 0.16 eV for a change in × of 0.1. In addition, the valence-band spectra exhibited structure between about 1 and 2 eV BE, and this structure increased as x decreased. These observations are explicable in terms of charge transfer and the formation of occupied defect states associated with carbon vacancies.

Low energy ion scattering spectroscopy (LEIS) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) were used to measure the extent of impurity cation solute segregation to MgO (100) and various surfaces of single and polycrystalline Al2O3, following equilibration anneals at temperatures above 1000°C in ulfra-high vacuum. Systems studied include Ca/MgO, Ni/MgO, Ca/A12O3 and Y/Al2O3. Calcium segregation to MgO (100) is reversible and exhibits monofayer adsorption behavior with an enthalpy of segregation of approximately -55 kJ/mole with maximum occupation of surface cation sites approaching 40%. Nickel segregation to MgO(100) is masked by a preferential segregation of calcium. Calcium segregation to A12O3 surfaces has been found to be transient with a maximum surface cation site occupation of less than 10% as determined by LEIS and estimated enthalpy of segregation in the range -go to -190 kJ/mole. Yttrium segregation to surfaces of a polycrystalline Al2O3 compact was limited by competing calcium segregation at temperatures be ow 1600°C. An estimated enthalpy of segregation for yttrium to A12O3 surfaces was in the range -23 to -43 kJ/mole, with maximum cation surface site occupation of about 15%. Practical limitations to free surface measurements of solute segregation in these materials are discussed.

A new approach to achieving a large-area silicon-on-insulator technology without pre-patterning is described. (100) Si films are first grown epitaxially on (100) yttria-stabilized cubic zirconia (YSZ) substrates by the pyrolysis of SiH4. The Si side of the <Si>/<YSZ>interface is then oxidized in pyrogenic steam (at 925 °C) or dry oxygen (at 1100°C) to form the structure <Si>/amorphous SiO2/<YSZ>. The oxidation occurs by the rapid diffusion of oxidants through the 0.42 mm thick YSZ substrate; e.g., a 0.3 μm SiO2 layer is obtained in 6 h in steam. The samples are analyzed by Rutherford backscattering and channeling spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, infra-red reflectance, Auger electron spectroscopy and sheet resistance measurements. In addition to forming the preferred Si/SiO2 interface, the back-side oxidation eliminates the most defective part of the Si film.

With the field-ion microscope one not only can locate individual atoms at a surface, but under some circumstances also can discriminate between chemically different species. These capabilities are illustrated in an examination of the strength of binding in silicon-metal surface clusters and in a detailed analysis of their mobility.

The microstructure of sputtered platinum thin films has been investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis. The (111) reflection was analysed by the variance and the Fourier methods. The effective particle size was calculated from the variance slope coefficient and the microstrain from the Fourier cosine coefficients assuming that the effective sizes calculated from both methods are identical. Various thickness thin films have been studied. The effective particle size (Dev) increases with ev increasing film thickness until a thickness of ≈ 1500 Å, then Dev becomes constant and independent on the thickness. The microstrain varies in an inverse way to Dev ; it decreases with increasing thickness. Above a thickness of 1500 Å, the microstrain is constant.

The ability of Static Synergetios,the universal,reversible,scalable mathematical algorithm/(used as an) experimental model, connecting external radiation small-angle-scattering diffraction-pattern/static structure factor SSAS (k),dominated by defect heterogeneities/clumps/clusters,to electronic (magniic,mechanical) complex,frequency-dependent electrical,dielectric, noise,optical…Function properties,can be enhanced by utilizing a comparison/difference of bulk transmission versus surface specular/glancing/grazing incidence small-angle-scattering diffraction-patterns.

Positive core-electron binding energy shifts in small palladium clusters supported on cadmium telluride substrate are shown to arise from the initial-state effects those are more sensitive to cluster size than are the final-state properties and the mean valence band electron binding energy is primarily responsible for the Pd 3d5/2 electron binding energy in lower coverage region (Pd ≲ 1×1015 atoms-cm−2).

The surfaces of a variety of polymers presenting either primary, secondary, tertiary, vinyl or aromatic protons to the reactive gas environment were fluorinated by glow discharge treatment. Depth profiles of the plasma surface reaction were obtained by SIMS with oxygen ion sputtering. Further information was obtained from the appearance of ESCA traces of these substrates before and after the reaction.

The surface composition and electronic structure of carburized tungsten trioxide are investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The relationship between the surface composition and the catdlytic activity for methanol electro-oxidation is clarified. The tungsten carbide concentration in the surface layer increases with the carburization time. The formation of tungsten carbide enhances the catalytic activity. On the other hand, the presence of free carbon or tungsten trioxide in the surface layer reduces the activity remarkably. It is also shown that, the higher the electronic density of states near the Fermi level, the higher the catalytic activity.

The instantaneous impedance of AL in 1N NaCl at various polarization tines has been measured using LapLace transformation method. In an instant of beginning polarization, the dependance of interfacial resistance, Rf, on polarization current, ip, follows:

Interfacial capacitance, Cf, however, indepenrs of ip, only depends on film's thickness. In the course of polarization, Rf changed hardly with time, Cfchanged greatly. This is due to little difference between the resistance on corroded region and the resistance on the region with film, and great difference capacitance on both regions. A reasonable model has beon pronosed to explain the experimental results.

The prospects of microanalysis using 0.5 nm diameter electron beams are reviewed. This paper will discuss the various characterization possibilities with emphasis on incoherent imaging, energy loss spectroscopy and convergent probe diffraction. Some examples indicating characterization at a 0.5 nm lateral spatial resolution scale will be presented and we will conclude with a discussion of the limits of nanometer characterization.

Thin films of Co-10 at% Pt, ranging from 15 to 90 nm in thickness, have been DC-sputtered at various temperatures on to carbon-coated mica, carbon substrates on copper grids, or (001) silicon single crystals under 3 μm pressure of Ar, using targets of the alloy in the hexagonal phase, at growth rates of 9 nm/min. The samples were investigated by TEM, using bright-and dark-field imaging, lattice imaging, selected area diffraction and both Fresnel and focussed Lorentz modes. The primary structure of the films was found to be hexagonal, with a = 0.255 nm and c = 0.414 nm. For the samples sputtered at room temperature, the grain sizes were on the order of 0.μm on carbon-coated mica and carbon-substrate grids, and approximately an order of magnitude smaller on silicon substrates. Heavy streaking along the [001] of the hexagonal matrix was observed on diffraction patterns for grains having the [001] parallel to the surface; this streaking was found to be associated with the presence of a high density of faults parallel to the (001). In films sputtered on to carbon-coated mica at 225 °C, where a substantial reduction of the coercivity is observed, the overwhelming majority of the grains had the (001) basal plane parallel to the surface. Lorentz microscopy showed the magnetic domain structure in films grown on silicon to be markedly different from those grown on the carbon substrates, and further changes occurred for the films grown at elevated temperatures.

Ni/NiO interface structures were investigated using TEM, and the observed structures were compared with current heterophase interface models. Relative magnitudes of Ni/NiO interfacial energies were obtained from measurements of dihedral angles at triple grain junctions between Ni and NiO grains. Extra reflections in diffraction patterns from oxide grains adjacent to the Ni/NiO interface were compared with kinematical structure factor calculations for several proposed structures.

The electrical characteristics and the microstructure of Mo/GaAs Schottky diodes fabricated by electron-beam evaporation have been studied. The barrier height, ideality factor, deep trapping levels and intermetallic compounds of these annealed or unannealed Mo/GaAs Schottky diodes are obtained by using the I-V, C-V, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses. An obvious interdiffusion at Mo/GaAs interface is observed in Mo/GaAs Schottky diodes annealed above 500°C for 10 min. DLTS results show that there are two electron traps [Ec-(0.52±0.02)'eV and Ec-(0.86±0.02) eV] and one hole trap [Ev+(0.92±0.02) eV] are demonstrated for 300°C, 400°C post-annealed Mo/GaAs diodes. TEM results also indicate that the disappearance of these deep trapping levels may correlated to the formation of intermetallic compounds GaMo3 and MoAs2 existed in Mo/GaAs diodes post-annealed above 500°C. It is believed that the metal-semiconductor interdiffusion and the intermetallic compounds play the major roles for the thermal degradation of Mo/GaAs Schottky diodes.

An energy dispersive X-ray microprobe (EDX) analysis was developed to determine simultaneously the lateral uniformity of the thickness and the composition of thin potassium polyphosphide(KPx) films. The EDX analysis was based on theoretical calibration curves generated by the Monte Carlo simulation approach developed by Kyser and Murata and extended by Miller and Koffman. Simultaneous determination of both composition and thickness was possible for this binary-element thin film due to the concentration independence of the theoretical intensity ratio of

The EDX results were compared to macro techniques applied routinely in the characterization of thin films, i.e., piezoelectric thickness measurement and compositional analysis via X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF). A special XRF technique was developed to determine the weight ratios from fluorescent intensity measurements “directly” using “bulk” standards instead of thin film standards. The accuracy of this technique was demonstrated for an indium phosphide standard film since no certified KPx standard films are available.

The comparison was carried out on films of widely different thicknesses (0.26–2.0 um) and compositions (KP5–KP83). A Student's t test demonstrated that the compared techniques were identical at the 95% confidence level for the determinations of both thickness and composition. Thus, EDX analysis can be used to complement the macro techniques when the lateral uniformity of the thin films is to be determined at the micron scale.

Four types of cause related defects in the formation of platinum silicide were examined by scanning Auger Microscopy (SAM). These are: “Dark Platinum”, a dark rough patch on the platinum silicide, “Aqua Regia Attack”, the apparent etch of the platinum silicide by the aqua regia used to remove pure Pt metal, “Spot Defects”, holes in the Pt-Si layer and Ti-W strip defects, the apparent defects left in the Pt-Si by the stripping of a Ti-W overlayer. Elemental Auger maps show that silicide formation was prevented, in the first three cases, by remaining oxide from a masking step. The fourth case was caused by a layer of titanium oxide overlying the Pt-Si.

Auger electron analysis of oxides grown at 573 K in dried oxygen on the matrix and on precipitates in a 0.5 wt% Ni in zirconium alloy, is part of a larger program to study the effect of second phase particles on the oxidation and hydriding behaviour of Zircaloy-2. The alloy consisted of a zirconium matrix containing randomly distributed Zr2Ni precipitates of up to 10 μM in diameter. Oxidation simultaneously proceeded about the whole periphery of the precipitate and after approximately 50 days exposure was completely oxidized and of nearly uniform composition. The chemical structure of the oxides grown on the matrix and on the free and internal surfaces of the precipitate were determined as a function of depth in the oxide film.

The continuing miniaturisation of modern semiconductor devices is placing new demands on the spatial resolution of many existing assessment techniques. With device structures reduced to nm dimensions the need to optimise conditions for high resolution in-depth profiling is essential for accurate characterisation. In this paper we present Auger profiles of two micro-electronic structures and consider the choice of ion beam parameters necessary to minimise ion beam induced distortion. In VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) technology where high dopant concentrations are ion implanted into shallow layer structures, Auger profiling can be used to establish dopant distributions accurately in the peak regions of the high dose implant. This information is shown to provide data for process modelling programmes.

Also presented are profiles of MOCVD (Metal Organic Chemical Vapour Deposition) grown GaAlAs/GaAs superlattices with 70 Å repeat structures. Interface width measurements are of particular importance in this case where sharp interfaces are a pre-requisite for good device performance. These structures have been found to be very vulnerable to enhanced atomic mixing, a consequence of the small mass of the Al atom. The Al content of the GaAlAs determining the obtainable in-depth resolution.