Complementary Characterization of Buried Nanolayers by Quantitative X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry under Conventional and Grazing Incidence Conditions

Unterumsberger, Rainer; Pollakowski, B.; Müller, Mat­thias; Beckhoff, Burkhard

doi:10.1021/ac202074s

Cited by 27 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…X-Ray Fluorescence analysis (XRF) is a highly sensitive technique to obtain elemental composition and mass deposition. In particular, XRF in grazing incidence geometry [5–9] allows for very low limits of detection.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of High-k Nanolayers by Grazing Incidence X-ray Spectrometry

et al. 2014

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The accurate characterization of nanolayered systems is an essential topic for today’s developments in many fields of material research. Thin high-k layers and gate stacks are technologically required for the design of current and future electronic devices and can be deposited, e.g., by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD). However, the metrological challenges to characterize such systems demand further development of analytical techniques. Reference-free Grazing Incidence X-ray Fluorescence (GIXRF) based on synchrotron radiation can significantly contribute to the characterization of such nanolayered systems. GIXRF takes advantage of the incident angle dependence of XRF, in particular below the substrate’s critical angle where changes in the X-ray Standing Wave field (XSW) intensity influence the angular intensity profile. The reliable modeling of the XSW in conjunction with the radiometrically calibrated instrumentation at the PTB allows for reference-free, fundamental parameter-based quantitative analysis. This approach is very well suited for the characterization of nanoscaled materials, especially when no reference samples with sufficient quality are available. The capabilities of this method are demonstrated by means of two systems for transistor gate stacks, i.e., Al2O3 high-k layers grown on Si or Si/SiO2 and Sc2O3 layers on InGaAs/InP substrates.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of High-k Nanolayers by Grazing Incidence X-ray Spectrometry

et al. 2014

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“…Carbon is more efficiently detected by using SR at 3.8 keV excitation energy compared with the 5.41 keV, whereas in the spectrum obtained from the low Z –high Z TXRF spectrometer, the C Kα is almost merged with the O Kα peak. Previous studies have demonstrated the potential of SR to carry out even quantitative XRF and grazing incidence XRF analysis of light elements contained in buried boron and carbon nanolayers on silicon substrate excited optimally by 510 eV undulator radiation and measured by a calibrated setup with a windowless SDD …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous studies have demonstrated the potential of SR to carry out even quantitative XRF and grazing incidence XRF analysis of light elements contained in buried boron and carbon nanolayers on silicon substrate excited optimally by 510 eV undulator radiation and measured by a calibrated setup with a windowless SDD. [29] Total reflection X-ray fluorescence quantification…”

Section: Results and Discussion Detection Limitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparative study on the total reflection X-ray fluorescence determination of lowZelements using X-ray tube and synchrotron radiation as excitation sources

et al. 2017

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Detailed total reflection X‐ray fluorescence (TXRF) studies for the detection and quantification of low atomic number elements were carried out by using a laboratory dual source TXRF spectrometer equipped with a vacuum chamber and at the International Atomic Energy Agency multi‐purpose end‐station facility, operated at the XRF beamline of Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, Italy. Multi‐elemental standard aqueous solutions of low Z elements (F, Na, Al, S, K, Sc, and Ti) with different elemental concentrations of 2, 10, 20, and 30 µg/ml were prepared and measured in both setups. The measurements at the synchrotron setup were performed in a scanning mode across the sample residue and perpendicular to the incident beam in order to account properly for a possible non‐uniform deposition of certain elements. The accuracy and the detection limits obtained from the TXRF measurements in both setups were determined and comparatively evaluated and assessed. Significant improvement in the TXRF detection limits at the synchrotron beamline end‐station was obtained for the elements with Z ≤ 13 (Al). Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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“…Also, due to the shallow incidence angles, the X-ray absorption is quite pronounced in the depth direction, limiting the volume in which X-ray fluorescence is effectively excited. Depth-sensitive measurements of multilayers and thin films deposited on a surface were performed by means of GIXRF [56][57][58][59][60] or by means of XSW under grazing incidence conditions [55,61]. The thickness and the density of the films as well as the elemental amount or quantity of deposited material were assessed.…”

Section: Gixrf and Gexrfmentioning

confidence: 99%

High-energy-resolution grazing emission X-ray fluorescence applied to the characterization of thin Al films on Si

Kayser

Szlachetko

Banaś

et al. 2013

Spectrochimica Acta Part B: Atomic Spectroscopy

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The grazing emission X-ray fluorescence (GEXRF) technique was applied to the analysis of different Al films, with nominal thicknesses in the range of 1 nm to 150 nm, on Si wafers. In GEXRF the sample volume from which the fluorescence intensity is detected is restricted to a near-surface region whose thickness can be tuned by varying the observation angle. This is possible because of the refraction of the fluorescence X-rays and the quite long emission paths within the probed sample. By recording the X-ray fluorescence signal for different shallow emission angles, defined relatively to the flat, smooth sample surface, the deposited Al surface layers of the different samples could be well characterized in terms of layer thickness, layer density, oxidation and surface roughness. The advantages offered by synchrotron radiation and the employed wavelength-dispersive detection setup were profited from. The GEXRF results retrieved were confirmed by complementary measurements. The experimental setup, the principles and advantages of GEXRF and the analysis of the recorded angular intensity profiles will be discussed in details.

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Complementary Characterization of Buried Nanolayers by Quantitative X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry under Conventional and Grazing Incidence Conditions

Cited by 27 publications

References 19 publications

Characterization of High-k Nanolayers by Grazing Incidence X-ray Spectrometry

Characterization of High-k Nanolayers by Grazing Incidence X-ray Spectrometry

A comparative study on the total reflection X-ray fluorescence determination of lowZelements using X-ray tube and synchrotron radiation as excitation sources

High-energy-resolution grazing emission X-ray fluorescence applied to the characterization of thin Al films on Si

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