Modern Ion Beam Techniques for Elemental Analysis of Surfaces and Interfaces at the nm Scale


Modern Ion Beam Techniques for Elemental Analysis of Surfaces and Interfaces at the nm Scale

Heller, R.

The general trend in technology and science to create, process and analyze small structures on the nm scale leads to new challenges in modern ion beam analysis (IBA). This is accompanied by higher demands on the lateral resolution as well as on high precision determination of elemental compositions on an atomic depth scale.

Thinner layer structures are closely related to an increased sensitivity on external impacts. Even the transport of a sample to the place of analysis under ambient conditions can lead to unwanted (chemical) modifications at the surface. Furthermore, in technological developments not only the state of a system after processing but the process itself may be of particular interest. “Online” IBA under process conditions is thus highly desired.

Classical IBA methods like RBS (Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry), ERD (Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis), PIXE (Particle Induced X-Ray Emission) or PIGE (Particle Induced Gamma Emission), either applied as broad beam or as a micro probe, can therefore quickly reach their limits.

In the present contribution, we give an overview on recent and ongoing developments of new IBA techniques and approaches at the HZDR Ion Beam Center (IBC) addressing the above-mentioned difficulties. These developments include in particular

  • the implementation of IBA in a helium ion microscope enabling elemental mapping on the nm scale,
  • the unification of different IBA techniques in complex experimental chambers including in-situ capabilities,
  • a new setup for in-operando, online and quantitative analysis of solid-liquid interfaces with sub mono-layer sensitivity,
  • A new low-energy ion laboratory equipped with a Medium Energy Ion Scattering (MEIS) chamber for quantitative elemental depth profiling on the nm scale.

We will give an overview on these techniques and their capabilities. Since the IBC is an international user facility all presented techniques are available for external users experiments.

Keywords: Ion beam analysis; elemental composition; imaging; materials analysis; nano scale; backscattering

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Permalink: https://www.hzdr.de/publications/Publ-30541
Publ.-Id: 30541