Systematic compositional analysis of sputter-deposited boron-containing thin films

Abstract

Boron-containing materials exhibit a unique combination of ceramic and metallic properties that are sensitively dependent on their given chemical bonding and elemental compositions. However, determining the composition, let alone bonding, with sufficient accuracy is cumbersome with respect to boron, being a light element that bonds in various coordination.Here, we report on the comprehensive compositional analysis of transition-metal diboride (TMBx) thin films (TM = Ti, Zr, and Hf) by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), time-of-flight elastic recoil detection analysis (ToF-ERDA), Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), and nuclear reaction analysis (NRA). The films are grown on Si and C substrates by dc magnetron sputtering (DCMS) from stoichiometric TMB2 targets and have hexagonal AlB2-type columnar structures. EDX considerably overestimates B/TM ratios, x, compared to the other techniques, particularly for ZrBx. The B concentrations obtained by XPS strongly depend on the energy of Ar + ions used for removing surface oxides and

Dense, single-phase, hard, and stress-free Ti0.32Al0.63W0.05N films grown by magnetron sputtering with dramatically reduced energy consumption

“…The time-of-flight elastic recoil detection analysis (ToF-ERDA) measurement operated in a tandem accelerator is utilized to determine the elemental compositions in the (Ti 1- y Al y ) 1- x W x N films. The incident angle of 36 MeV 127 I 8+ probe beam is 67.5° with respect to the surface normal of sample, and the recoils are detected at 45° 23 . The cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy (XSEM) that determines thickness and cross-sectional morphology of the films is performed on a LEO 1550 instrument.…”

High-Entropy Transition Metal Nitride Thin Films Alloyed with Al: Microstructure, Phase Composition and Mechanical Properties

“…The elemental compositions of the films are first obtained by ToF-ERDA carried out in a tandem accelerator with a 36 MeV 127 I 8+ probe beam. More details about the measurements and analyses are given in reference [17]. Due to the limited mass resolution for heavy recoils, there are overlaps between signals coming from Ti and V, Zr and Nb, and Hf and Ta.…”

Oxidation kinetics of overstoichiometric TiB2 thin films grown by DC magnetron sputtering

“…The chemical compositions and depth profiles of as-deposited and air-annealed TiB x thin films are determined by time-of-flight elastic recoil detection analysis (ToF-ERDA) in a tandem accelerator with a 36 MeV 127 I 8+ probe beam. More details about the measurements and analyses are given in reference [54]. The chemistry of oxide scales is analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) in a Kratos Axis Ultra DLD instrument employing monochromatic Al K α radiation with hν = 1486.6 eV.…”

“…7. The XPS chemical compositions are normalized to corresponding concentrations determined from ToF-ERDA measurements in order to minimize the influence of preferential sputtering effects, which cannot be completely avoided during depth profiling with Ar + ions [54,75]. All depth profiles in Fig.…”