BasicPrinciplesofXray ReflectivityinThinFilms

FlixJimnezVillacorta

02-24-2011

Outline
Xraydiffraction Xraydiffractioninthinfilms:highangle vslowangle XRRasstructuralcharacterization Diffusescattering:specularvsoffspecular reflectivity Summary

William Henry Bragg

William Lawrence Bragg

Xraydiffraction
Bragg slaw:anglewhere constructiveinterferenceofscattered Xraysproducesadiffractionpeak: n =BC+CD=2dhklsin wheredhkl isthevectordrawnfrom theoriginoftheunitcelltointersect thecrystallographicplane.

HighanglevsLowangle
n = 2dsin
High (high Q) = Low d

~ 1/d

Probing ranges in x-ray diffraction on thin films

Low (low Q) = High d

= 2dhklsin

n = 2tsin

ki

kf 2

ki

kf 2

k(diffracted)

Q
k (incident)

XrayReflectivity
8 nm 15 nm
1
0,002

W (8 nm) // Si

Log(Reflectivity)

0,01

0,001

(/2d)
0 20 40

0,000

60

80

1E-4

Kiessigfringes Reflectivity(background)

= m 2d
2 2 c 2

1E-6 0 1 2 3 4

Grazing incidence (degree)

2 16 2 el 1 R(Q) = q xq y 4 4 qz qz

Ateveryinterface,aportionofxraysis reflected.Interferenceofthesepartialy reflectedxraybeamscreatesa reflectometrypattern.

XrayReflectivity
Xrayreflectivitycanbeusedfor: Layerthicknessofthinfilmsandmultilayers. Surfaceandinterfaceroughness. Surfacedensitygradientsandlayerdensity.

10 1 0.1 0.01

CoSi2 (15 nm) // Si

* Flat surface * Rough interface 5A 10 A

Vacuum/CoSi =0
2

no roughness

CoSi /Si
2

Log(Reflectivity)

1E-3 1E-4 1E-5 1E-6 1E-7 0 1 2 3

Grazing incidence angle (degree)

XrayReflectivity
Special case: bilayers and multilayers
CuO2 (5,5 nm) // Cu (45 nm) // Si
10 1 0.1
Log(Reflectivity)

Cu thickness CuO2 thickness

0.01

Bilayer:2oscillationfrequenciesare evidenced

1E-3

1E-4

1E-5

1E-6 0 1 2
Grazing incidence (degree)

100000

CoSN2

Intensity (c.p.s.)

Multilayer:n1Kiessigfringes between2BraggPeaks

10000

1000

100

10 1

2
2-Theta

Diffusescattering
Longitudinaldiffusescattering
Specular vs off-specular reflectivity

Specularcontributionofthediffusescattering Sameoscillationsthanreflectivitycurve

Diffusescattering
Longitudinaldiffusescattering
Off Specular XRR - (s2 - Au Cold)
1000000 100000

XRR specular long. diff (=0.05) long. diff (=0.1)

FeRhthin films+cap Q = qz Q qz
Um+1(x,y)

Intensity

10000

1000

100

10 0 1 2 3 4 5

2 theta ()

Off Specular XRR - (s6 - Au Hot)

1000000

zm+1 hmideal zm Um (x,y)

100000

XRR specular long. diff. (=0.05) long. diff. (=0.1)

Um (x,y)

Intensity

10000

1000

100

10 0 1 2 3 4 5

2 theta

Diffusescattering
Transversediffusescan(rockingcurve)
Various : Large lateral correlation at interface Specular peak Yoneda wings : each time i or f = c

Specular
Log [Intensity (arb. units)]

=7000 A =2000 A =500 A

c Yoneda Wings
0 1

c
2

scan

Summary
Ateveryinterface,aportionofxraysisreflected.Interference ofthesepartialyreflectedxraybeamscreatesareflectometry pattern. Xrayreflectivityisausefultechinqueforstructural characterizationofthinfilms.Informationaboutthethickness andtheroughnessofsuchsamplescanbeobtained. Diffusescatteringofxraysgivealsoinformationaboutthe roughness,correlationlength(fractalparameters)insurfaces andinterfaces.