TY - JOUR
T1 - Characterization of WCx/B4C multilayers sputtered in reactive argon/methane atmospheres
AU - Diehl, P. E.
AU - Lund, Mark W.
AU - Madsen, D. W.
AU - McIntyre, L. C.
AU - Smith, David
N1 - Funding Information:
P.D. was supported by the Department of Energy grant No. DE-FG03-90ER80953. The authors would like to thank Hans K. Pew and Dr. Wang Qi for deposition of multilayers and single-layer samples. Drs. M. George find T. Karcher helped with acquisition of the XPS data, and Dr. R. Hervig acquired the SIMS depth profiles. The X-ray data were obtained on equipment purchased under National Science Foundation grant No. DMR-8406823. The electron microscopy was conducted at the Center for High Resolution Electron Microscopy at Arizona State University, which is supported by the National Science Foundation under grant No. DMR-9115680.
PY - 1994/2/15
Y1 - 1994/2/15
N2 - Two series of WCx/B4C thin film multilayers were produced by d.c. magnetron sputtering in reactive atmospheres of argon with methane additions (up to 18%). Thin films of boron carbide and tungsten were also deposited separately to provide information about the composition of individual layers. The microstructure and chemistry of the sputtered films were characterized using transmission/high resolution electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, and ion beam analysis with MeV helium beams. High-resolution imaging showed that the structure of the individual layers was completely amorphous, although diffraction (electron and X-ray) indicated well-defined layer ordering. Chemical analysis revealed that, in addition to carbon incorporation, the multilayers contained significant levels of hydrogen. As the methane percentage was increased, the amounts of hydrogen and carbon present increased, and oxygen (which was present in all samples) and hydrogen were preferentially incorporated into the boron carbide layer. The peak reflectivity for Mg Kα radiation depended on the methane concentration, with the sample sputtered in a 12% methane atmosphere showing the highest reflectivity of 30%. Annealing of a representative multilayer caused substantial hydrogen loss, and a decrease of the bilayer spacing.
AB - Two series of WCx/B4C thin film multilayers were produced by d.c. magnetron sputtering in reactive atmospheres of argon with methane additions (up to 18%). Thin films of boron carbide and tungsten were also deposited separately to provide information about the composition of individual layers. The microstructure and chemistry of the sputtered films were characterized using transmission/high resolution electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, and ion beam analysis with MeV helium beams. High-resolution imaging showed that the structure of the individual layers was completely amorphous, although diffraction (electron and X-ray) indicated well-defined layer ordering. Chemical analysis revealed that, in addition to carbon incorporation, the multilayers contained significant levels of hydrogen. As the methane percentage was increased, the amounts of hydrogen and carbon present increased, and oxygen (which was present in all samples) and hydrogen were preferentially incorporated into the boron carbide layer. The peak reflectivity for Mg Kα radiation depended on the methane concentration, with the sample sputtered in a 12% methane atmosphere showing the highest reflectivity of 30%. Annealing of a representative multilayer caused substantial hydrogen loss, and a decrease of the bilayer spacing.
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U2 - 10.1016/0040-6090(94)90108-2
DO - 10.1016/0040-6090(94)90108-2
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0028380438
SN - 0040-6090
VL - 239
SP - 57
EP - 70
JO - Thin Solid Films
JF - Thin Solid Films
IS - 1
ER -