Embedded argon as a tool for sampling local structure in thin plasma deposited aluminum oxide films

Journal Article · Thu Nov 15 00:00:00 EST 2012 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4767383· OSTI ID:22089541

Prenzel, Marina; Kortmann, Annika; Keudell, Achim von ^[1]; Arcos, Teresa de los; Winter, Joerg ^[2]

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1. Research Group Reactive Plasmas, Institute for Experimental Physics II, Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum, Universitaetstr. 150, D-44801 Bochum (Germany)
2. Application-Oriented Plasma Physics, Institute for Experimental Physics II, Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum, Universitaetstr. 150, D-44801 Bochum (Germany)

Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films, either amorphous or of varying degrees of crystallinity, were deposited by two-frequency radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. Film crystallinity was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was employed to determine the amount of Ar naturally trapped within the films during the deposition process. A clear correlation was found between the existence of crystalline phases, as determined by XRD, and a shift towards lower binding energy positions of the Ar2p core levels of embedded gas. The shift is due to differences in the local Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} matrix (amorphous or crystalline) of the embedded gas, thus, providing an XPS fingerprint that can be used to qualitatively determine the presence or absence of crystalline phases in very thin films.

• OSTI ID: 22089541
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 112, Issue 10; Other Information: (c) 2012 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
AMORPHOUS STATE
ARGON
BINDING ENERGY
CORRELATIONS
DEPOSITION
FOURIER TRANSFORM SPECTROMETERS
INFRARED SPECTRA
MAGNETRONS
PLASMA
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
SPUTTERING
THIN FILMS
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY