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571 Auger Lecture
571 Auger Lecture
Spectroscopy (AES)
Scanning Auger
Microscopy (SAM)
Louis Scudiero
www.wsu.edu/~scudiero
Ful. 208, 5-2669
Adsorption Processes
(Briggs handbook of X-ray and UV photoelectron spectroscopy, Heyden 1977)
High vacua at RT: 1m3 of O2 at 10-6 T weighs ~ 2 mg and the mean free path is
about 51 m.
The theory gives the frequency of collisions of gas molecules with a surface as:
N = 3/5*1022 * P * (M*T) -2
P is the partial pressure (Torr) of the gas, M the molecular weight (Sum of the
atomic weighs of all the atoms in a molecule) and T gas temperature (K)
Typical clean metal surfaces have about 1015 atoms cm-2. So, if each O2
striking the surface sticks (metal/oxygen atomic ratio of 1:1).
Time for adsorption of O2 at P = 10-6 T is 1015/3.62 1014 *2 = 1.4 s
NOTE
Gases present in HV systems are mostly H2O vapor, CxHy, CO, H and O2. In
UHV the gases are generally H and CO with some inert gases. Oxygen
concentrations in UHV are generally low because reacts with CO and C on the
chamber walls to produce CO and CO2
4 possible reactions:
1. Physiorption
2. Chemisorption
3. Chemisorption with reorganization and
4. Oxidation
Need for atomically clean surfaces
TiO2
Arbitrary Units
X-ray resolution
Auger Electron Energy Analysis
What is the Auger electron energy? Can we determine it from energy?
NOT SO SIMPLE
Because the transition probabilities between singly ionized and doubly ionized state
of the atom (NOT GROUND STATE PROPERTIES), Ref: F.P. Larkins,
Applications of Surface, Science 13, 1982, 4-34
By use of the expression (1) the Auger KE is overestimated
Example: Si and P
Case 1: Si EK = 1839 eV
EL1 = 149 eV
EL2,3 = 99 eV
Typical value for Φ = 4 ± 1 eV
Then E = EK -EL1 – EL2 -Φ = 1587 eV This value is too high
This equation does not take into account the interaction energies between the core
holes (K and L2,3) nor the intra- and extra- atomic relaxation energy which come
about as a result of the additional core screening needed when there is a hole in a
core level and it is achieved by an inward collapse or “relaxation” of the outer
electronic orbitals towards the core.
The Intra-atomic relaxation energy is the relaxation energy appropriate to an
isolated atom and the extra-atomic relaxation energy is the relaxation energy from
the other atoms or from the valence band due to the ionized atom in a molecule or
in a solid (Coulomb and exchange integrals).
A better approach is the “Z+1” approximation. The concept behind it is that after
single ionization event the BE of all electrons is increased due to one less electron
charge; electrostatically like Z+1 atom. Derived by Chung and Jenkins, Surface
Science, 21, 253 (1970)
1 1
E KL 2 ,3 ( Z ) = E K ( Z ) − [ E L1 ( Z ) + E L1 ( Z + 1)] − [ E L 2 , 3 ( Z ) + E L 2 , 3 ( Z + 1)]
2 2
Case 2: Z+1: then Si P
For phosphorus EL1 = 189 eV
EL2,3 = 126 eV
Then E = EK -EL1 – EL2 – Φ = 1552 eV
Direct Spectrum
Differentiated Spectrum
4 ways to display Auger data
SiC
22 eV
Graphite
Voltage dependency of the Sensitivity Factors. A typical voltage used in Auger is 5kV
SAM Element Imaging
Crater formed
XPS versus Auger
Elemental Map and Line scans at lower
spatial resolution
I. Microelectronics Technology
Applications
• TFA (thin Film Analysis). AES signal is plotted vs. sputtering etch time (Ar+). The graph
composition versus the depth gives information about composition, thickness and uniformity of the film.
•The technique is used in raw material evaluation, oxidation, metallization, etc …
•SAM (scanning Auger Microscopy) looks for inhomogeneity on surfaces. It is often used with SEM to
detect defects and trace of unwanted elements.
II. Metallurgy
Studies of Segregation at grain boundary (AES).