X-ray depth profiling of iron oxide thin films

Journal Article · Tue Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · J. Mat. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.1988.0351· OSTI ID:5451414

Toney, M F; Huang, T C; Brennan, S; Rek, Z

A nominally ..gamma..-Fe/sub 2/O/sub 3/ thin film (oxidized from an Fe/sub 3/O/sub 4/ film) has been structurally depth profiled using x-ray scattering in a grazing incidence, asymmetric Bragg geometry. By varying the grazing incidence angle, the x-ray penetration depth is varied from tens of Angstroms to several thousand Angstroms, slightly larger than the film thickness. At small incidence angles a diffraction pattern characteristic of ..cap alpha..-Fe/sub 2/O/sub 3/ is observed, while at larger angles the pattern is predominantly from ..gamma..-Fe/sub 2/O/sub 3/, showing that there is a surface layer of ..cap alpha..-Fe/sub 2/O/sub 3/. These results are quantified and the thickness of the ..cap alpha.. phase found to be 90 A. The presence of the ..cap alpha.. phase explains a nonferromagnetic layer observed previously. These data together with magnetic and chemical data suggest that the nonferromagnetic layer forms during oxidation of the Fe/sub 3/O/sub 4/ film due to outward diffusion of Fe ions and their subsequent oxidation to form ..cap alpha..-Fe/sub 2/O/sub 3/

• Research Organization: IBM Almaden Research Center, San Jose, California 95120
• OSTI ID: 5451414
• Journal Information: J. Mat. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Mat. Res.; (United States) Vol. 3:2; ISSN JMREE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360603* -- Materials-- Properties
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
CHALCOGENIDES
COHERENT SCATTERING
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DIFFRACTION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
FILMS
INCIDENCE ANGLE
IRON COMPOUNDS
IRON OXIDES
LAYERS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIATIONS
SCATTERING
SPUTTERING
SYNCHROTRON RADIATION
THIN FILMS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
X-RAY DIFFRACTION