Goppelt, P.; Biersack, J. P.; Gebauer, B.; Fink, D.; Bohne, W.; Wilpert, M.; Wilpert, T.: Investigation of thin films by high-energy ERDA. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 80/81 (1993), p. 142-145
10.1016/0168-583X(93)96094-S
Abstract:
Thin film samples were investigated by high-energy elastic recoil detection analysis (HE-ERDA), using heavy-ion beams such as e.g. 420 MeV I-127, which allows detection of all target elements simultaneously. A time-of-flight detection system consisted of channel plate detectors for start and stop. The recoils are finally stopped in a semiconductor detector delivering a total energy signal. The particle's mass is derived by its energy and time-of-flight. Accurate energy loss measurement of all particles up to the highest mass region and for all energies is attainable using the time-of-flight signal. Depth profiles were evaluated using the stopping powers of Biersack, Littmark and Ziegler. Heavy-ion stopping powers are accurate only to about 10%. For high-precision measurements calibration samples were used to correct the high-energy stopping powers of projectile and recoils. Samples of TiN on steel prepared by ion beam aided deposition (IBAD) technique, thin vapor deposited layers of Al and Ni on a Si substrate and a SiC layer on a Si substrate were investigated. The measurements provided absolute values for concentration and depth for all isotopes in the samples. The maximum measurable depth was 2-4 mum, depending on the recoil mass. The attained resolution was comparable to RBS measurements.