Thin film characterization by x-ray reflectivity

Date

2000-12

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Texas Tech University

Abstract

There is a growing necessity for experimental techniques able to obtain a good characterization for thin films. X-ray specular reflectometry, a non-destmctive technique able to give resolution in the order of some A, has been applied successfiilly for the study and characterization of layers and multilayers. A novel approach to the problem of obtaining thickness, roughness, and material composition using x-ray reflection is presented here. This novel approach permits practical improvements of the FFT methods used to find thickness. The use of the incoherent superposition of the x-rays reflected in different interfaces is presented as an altemative to the matrix formalism to fit the experimental incidence angle versus reflectivity curves. The more relevant dynamical effects characteristic of the x-ray difiuse scattering are explained using a novel phenomenological interpretation of the DWBA. Finally, the new methods presented here are apphed to explore the possibility of using x-ray reflection for the study of the oxidation of thin Cu layers.

Description

Keywords

Reflectometer, Thin films, X-rays

Citation