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Non-Destructive Chemical-State Analysis of Thin Films and Surface Layers (1-1000 nm) by Low-Energy Electron-Induced X-ray Spectroscopy (LEEIXS)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 March 2019

Angeli K. Gyani ,
Phillip McClusky ,
David S. Urch ,
M. Charbonnicr ,
F. Gaillard  and
M. Romand
Angeli K. Gyani
Affiliation:
Chemistry Department, Queen Mary College, Mile End Road, LONDON El 4NS, U.K.
Phillip McClusky
Affiliation:
Chemistry Department, Queen Mary College, Mile End Road, LONDON El 4NS, U.K.
David S. Urch
Affiliation:
Chemistry Department, Queen Mary College, Mile End Road, LONDON El 4NS, U.K.
M. Charbonnicr
Affiliation:
Dépanement de Chimic appliquéc et Génie chimique CNRS. URA 417, Université Claude Bernard-Lyon I, 43 Boulevard du 11 novembre 1918. F-69622 VILLEURBANNE, Cedex FRANCE
F. Gaillard
Affiliation:
Dépanement de Chimic appliquéc et Génie chimique CNRS. URA 417, Université Claude Bernard-Lyon I, 43 Boulevard du 11 novembre 1918. F-69622 VILLEURBANNE, Cedex FRANCE
M. Romand
Affiliation:
Dépanement de Chimic appliquéc et Génie chimique CNRS. URA 417, Université Claude Bernard-Lyon I, 43 Boulevard du 11 novembre 1918. F-69622 VILLEURBANNE, Cedex FRANCE
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Abstract

The penetration depth of 1-12 keV electrons in most materials is less than one micron and the characteristic soft x-rays that are produced can be used to identify the elements present in the surface. Varying the energy of the incident electron beam enables the depth of analysis to be controlled.

Soft x-rays often exhibit large 'chemical effects' (changes in peak profile and peak position) which can he correlated with chemical changes. A study of such effects for each element present in the sample surface, as a function of electron-beam energy, can in some cases, permit changes in the chemical state (valency - coordination number-spin state etc.) to be determined as a function of depth.

Such analyses can be carried out either in a conventional x-ray spectrometer in which the x-ray tube has been replaced by a gas-discharge source, or in a spectrometer in which the sample is bombarded with electrons from a normal electron gun. In this paper these techniques are outlined and some applications reviewed:- the analysis of oxide layers on aluminium and steel, the analysis of aluminium-nitride layers produced by MOCVD on gallium arsenide, the analysis of silica fiims (with added boron and phosphorus oxides) on silicon and the analysis of zinc-oxide films on glass.

Type
Research Article
Information
Advances in X-Ray Analysis , Volume 33: Thirty-Eighth Annual Conference on Applications of X-ray Analysis, July 31 - August 4, 1989 , 1989 , pp. 247 - 259
Copyright
Copyright © International Centre for Diffraction Data 1989

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References

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