Quantitative electron-probe microanalysis of light elements: Determination ofa-Si?C?N?O?H insulating films

Abstract

Amorphous Si : C : N : O : H films (1-3 #m) are studied by EPMA after deposition of gold (1-5 nm) as a conductive coating. Its influence on the k-ratios (X-ray intensity relative to an uncoated standard) of silicon, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen is described as a linear function of the simultaneously determined k-ratio of gold. The k-ratios representing the uncoated specimen are obtained by extrapolation and, in combination with the PAP matrix correction model, quantitative EPMA can be performed with an analytical error of 2-5%, as it is demonstrated by samples of SiC, Si3N 4 and SiO 2. No systematic shift of the concentrations is observed for layers ofa-Si : C : N : O : H determined at various electron energies of 5-12.5 keV. Hydrogen is calculated by difference and the concentrations prove to be a useful estimate in agreement with the results of chemical analysis. Si-K~/Si-Kfl' spectra recorded on organo-silicon films and binary silicon compounds point out significant differences concerning the formation of Si-C, Si-N and Si-O chemical bonds.

Investigation of various SiC materials by means of EPMA/WDS techniques

“…4 and [3,4]). The use of amorphous carbon is rather common in the literature, but the results are often unsatisfactory [5,6]. The SiC standard and the samples were not coated.…”

Structural and optical properties o plasma-deposited a-C:H:Si:O:N films

“…Thin films of a-C:H:Si:N [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] , a-C:H:Si:O [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] , and a-C:H:Si:O:N [21][22][23][24] , where a designates amorphous, have been produced by plasma deposition from diverse monomers and comonomers. For example, a-C:H:Si:N has been produced, among others, in plasmas fed hexamethyldisilazane and nitrogen [1] , diethylsilane and ammonia [3] , and methane, silane and nitrogen [5] .…”