Soft X-ray reflectometry applied to the evaluation of surface roughness variation during the deposition of thin films

J.P. Chauvineau

Thin films of boron, silicon and tungsten-rhenium materials were prepared by vapor deposition in a high vacuum system. During the deposition, the reflectivity was measured using the carbon Ka line (A = 4.47 nm). The surface roughness evolution was calculated as a function of thickness from the soft X-ray reflectance of the films. It was found that the mean square deviation of the surface height is proportional to the average thickness. A statistical model is proposed to explain this behaviour ; it rests on the random condensation process of evaporated particules and takes into account the role of incident kinetic energy of adatoms in disordered thin film growth.

Mots clés: boron; reflectometry; rhenium alloys; silicon; surface topography measurement; tungsten alloys; vacuum deposited coatings; X ray apparatus; soft X ray reflectometry; semiconductor; thin film deposition; surface roughness; vapour deposition; reflectivity; mean square deviation; kinetic energy; adatoms; disordered thin film growth; 4.47 nm; W Re; Si

Domaines: Articles anciens

J.P. Chauvineau. Soft X-ray reflectometry applied to the evaluation of surface roughness variation during the deposition of thin films. Revue de Physique Appliquée, 1988, 23 (10), pp.1645-1652. ⟨10.1051/rphysap:0198800230100164500⟩. ⟨jpa-00245993⟩