Scanning Auger microscopy for high lateral and depth elemental sensitivity

Material challenges for solar cells in the twenty-first century: directions in emerging technologies

“…High spatial resolution can be achieved (≈10 nm), depending on the surface topography, Auger process yield of element considered (element sensitivity), and the global chemical state (superficial contamination or oxidation level) and obviously the acquisition mode employed (point, line, or element mapping). Based on the state of the art of Auger performances and limitations published by Martinez et al [ 298 ], nano-Auger represent a powerful tool for numerous photovoltaic devices characterization and is totally compatible with XPS, SIMS and TOFS-SIMS when localized chemical analyses are needed [ 299 ]. Nevertheless, the surface preservation and preparation prior to analysis is a key step, even more than for XPS.…”

Spectroscopic XPEEM of highly conductive SI-doped GaN wires

“…SCM was performed in a Bruker Dimension 3100AFM using PtIr-coated conducting probes having a spring constant of 0.2 N/m. The SAM results were obtained in a PHI 700Xi Auger nanoprobe [12] from a 3 keV, 1 nA electron beam, at a typical base pressure of 10 À 9 mbar. The relative silicon concentration was deduced from the peak-to-peak intensity of the first-derivative, Ga LMM , N KLL , Si LMM and O KLL transitions, weighted by the appropriate relative sensitivity factor; this yielded to a typical relative uncertainty of 15%.…”

Nano-hardness estimation by means of Ar+ ion etching

“…(AES). The Ar ion gun, in fact, can erode in control mode few atomic layers [17,18]. For that reason in this work, we consider the relationship between that mechanical properties and the sputtering rate.…”