Advanced backside sample preparation for multi-technique surface analysis

M. Py , M. Veillerot , J.M. Fabbri , F. Pierre , D. Jalabert , C. Roukoss , B. Pelissier , R. Boujamaa , C. Trouiller , J.P. Barnes

Backside sample preparation is a well-known method to help circumvent undesired effects and artifacts in the analysis of a sample or device structure. However it remains challenging in the case of thin layers analysis since only a fraction oRelax;f the original sample must remain while removing most or all of the substrate and maintaining a smooth and flat surface suitable for analysis. Here we present a method adapted to the preparation of ultrathin layers grown on pure Si substrates. It consists in a mechanical polishing up to a few remaining microns, followed by a dedicated wet etch. This method can be operated in a routine fashion and yields an extremely flat and smooth surface, without any remaining Si from substrate. It therefore allows precise analysis of the layers of interests with various characterization techniques.

Mots clés: Physical Sciences

Domaines: Physique [physics]

M. Py, M. Veillerot, J.M. Fabbri, F. Pierre, D. Jalabert, et al.. Advanced backside sample preparation for multi-technique surface analysis. European Physical Journal: Applied Physics, 2011, 55 (3), ⟨10.1051/epjap/2011110191⟩. ⟨hal-00724133⟩