Hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) is establishing itself as an essential technique for the characterisation of materials. The number of specialised photoelectron spectroscopy techniques making use of hard X-rays is steadily increasing and ever more complex experimental designs enable truly transformative insights into the chemical, electronic, magnetic, and structural nature of materials. This paper begins with a short historic perspective of HAXPES and spans from developments in the early days of photoelectron spectroscopy to provide an understanding of the origin and initial development of the technique to state-of-the-art instrumentation and experimental capabilities. The main motivation for and focus of this paper is to provide a picture of the technique in 2020, including a detailed overview of available experimental systems worldwide and insights into a range of specific measurement modi and approaches. We also aim to provide a glimpse into the future of the technique including possible developments and opportunities.

The research in MAX phases is mainly concentrated on the investigation of carbides rather than nitrides (currently >150 carbides and only <15 nitrides) that are predominantly synthesized by conventional solid-state techniques. This is not surprising since the preparation of nitrides and carbonitrides is more demanding due to the high stability and low diffusion rate of nitrogen-containing compounds. This leads to several drawbacks concerning potential variations in the chemical composition of the MAX phases as well as control of morphology, the two aspects that directly affect the resulting materials properties. Here, we report how alternative solid-state hybrid techniques solve these limitations by combining conventional techniques with nonconventional precursor synthesis methods, such as the “urea–glass” sol–gel or liquid ammonia method. We demonstrate the synthesis and morphology control within the V–Ga–C–N system by preparing the MAX phase carbide and nitridethe latter in the form of bulkier and more defined smaller particle structuresas well as a hitherto unknown carbonitride V2GaC1–x N x MAX phase. This shows the versatility of hybrid methods starting, for example, from wet chemically obtained precursors that already contain all of the ingredients needed for carbonitride formation. All products are characterized in detail by X-ray powder diffraction, electron microscopy, and electron and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies to confirm their structure and morphology and to detect subtle differences between the different chemical compositions.

Tungsten (W) is an important and versatile transition metal and has a firm place at the heart of many technologies. A popular experimental technique for the characterization of tungsten and tungsten-based compounds is x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), which enables the assessment of chemical states and electronic structure through the collection of core level and valence band spectra. However, in the case of tungsten metal, open questions remain regarding the origin, nature, and position of satellite features that are prominent in the photoelectron spectrum. These satellites are a fingerprint of the electronic structure of the material and have not been thoroughly investigated, at times leading to their misinterpretation. The present work combines high-resolution soft and hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (SXPS and HAXPES) with reflected electron energy loss spectroscopy (REELS) and a multitiered ab initio theoretical approach, including density functional theory (DFT) and many-body perturbation theory (G0W0 and GW + C), to disentangle the complex set of experimentally observed satellite features attributed to the generation of plasmons and interband transitions. This combined experiment-theory strategy is able to uncover previously undocumented satellite features, improving our understanding of their direct relationship to tungsten's electronic structure. Furthermore, it lays the groundwork for future studies into tungsten-based mixed-metal systems and holds promise for the reassessment of the photoelectron spectra of other transition and post-transition metals, where similar questions regarding satellite features remain.

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Space-charge-controlled field emission analysis of current conduction in amorphous and crystallized atomic-layer-deposited Al 2 O 3 on GaN

Power semiconductor device architectures require the inclusion of a diffusion barrier to suppress or at best prevent the interdiffusion between the copper metallization interconnects and the surrounding silicon substructure. The binary pseudo-alloy of titanium–tungsten (TiW), with >70 at. % W, is a well-established copper diffusion barrier but is prone to degradation via the out-diffusion of titanium when exposed to high temperatures ([Formula: see text]400 [Formula: see text]C). Here, the thermal stability of physical vapor deposited TiW/Cu bilayer thin films in Si/SiO[Formula: see text](50 nm)/TiW(300 nm)/Cu(25 nm) stacks were characterized in response to annealing at 400 [Formula: see text]C for 0.5 h and 5 h, using a combination of soft and hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Results show that annealing promoted the segregation of titanium out of the TiW and interdiffusion into the copper metallization. Titanium was shown to be driven toward the free copper surface, accumulating there and forming a titanium oxide overlayer upon exposure to air. Annealing for longer timescales promoted a greater out-diffusion of titanium and a thicker oxide layer to grow on the copper surface. However, interface measurements suggest that the diffusion is not significant enough to compromise the barrier integrity, and the TiW/Cu interface remains stable even after 5 h of annealing.

The precursor conversion chemistry and surface chemistry of Cu 3 N and Cu 3 PdN nanocrystals are unknown or contested. Here, we first obtain phase-pure, colloidally stable nanocubes. Second, we elucidate the pathway by which copper(II) nitrate and oleylamine form Cu 3 N. We find that oleylamine is both a reductant and a nitrogen source. Oleylamine is oxidized by nitrate to a primary aldimine, which reacts further with excess oleylamine to a secondary aldimine, eliminating ammonia. Ammonia reacts with Cu I to form Cu 3 N. Third, we investigated the surface chemistry and find a mixed ligand shell of aliphatic amines and carboxylates (formed in situ). While the carboxylates appear tightly bound, the amines are easily desorbed from the surface. Finally, we show that doping with palladium decreases the band gap and the material becomes semi-metallic. These results bring insight into the chemistry of metal nitrides and might help the development of other metal nitride nanocrystals.

Cu3N and Cu3PdN nanocrystals are attractive materials with numerous applications ranging from optoelectronics to catalysis. However, their chemical formation mechanism and surface chemistry are unknown or contested. In this work, we first optimize the synthesis and purification to yield phase pure, colloidal stable Cu3N and Cu3PdN nanocubes. Second, we elucidate the precursor conversion mechanism that leads to the formation of Cu3N from copper(II) nitrate and oleylamine. We find that oleylamine is both the reductant and nitrogen source. Oleylamine is oxidized to a primary aldimine and the latter reacts further with oleylamine to a secondary aldimine, eliminating ammonia. Ammonia reacts with Cu(I) to form Cu3N. Third, we investigated the surface chemistry of the nanocrystals using solution NMR spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). We find a mixed ligand shell of aliphatic amines and carboxylates. The carboxylate is produced in situ during the synthesis. While the carboxylates appear tightly bound, the amines are easily desorbed from the surface. Finally, we analyze the optoelectronic properties by UV-Vis and XPS. Doping with palladium decreases the bandgap but the material remains a semiconductor. These results bring insight into the chemistry of metal nitrides and will help the development of other metal nitride nanocrystals.