Limits of surface analysis of thin film compounds using LEIS

TL;DR

This study investigates the limitations of LEIS in analyzing thin film compounds, revealing matrix effects caused by neutralization efficiency changes, which depend on surface composition and can be mitigated with proper reference selection.

Contribution

It uncovers previously unknown matrix effects in LEIS due to neutralization mechanisms, expanding understanding of surface analysis limitations for B, C, N, O containing materials.

Findings

Matrix effects decrease LEIS signals at low Ru concentrations.

Neutralization efficiency varies with surface composition and affects measurements.

Matrix effects can be mitigated by choosing appropriate reference samples.

Abstract

Low Energy Ion Scattering (LEIS) was employed to study the surface composition of thin films of Ru on B, C and B4C films at different stages of growth. Effects of surface segregation of C were observed. Previously unknown matrix effects were observed in these samples, expressed in the decrease of LEIS signals of Ru, B and C at low Ru concentrations. The effect disappears for Ru-rich surfaces. Measurements with different He+ ion energies prove that the characteristic velocities of the elements involved change with surface composition. We suggest that these matrix effects appear due to the changes in neutralization efficiency in quasiresonant neutralization from the valence band (VB-qRN). This neutralization channel is present in elemental C and B due to a wide valence band with energy states as low as -20 eV, which are in a (quasi-)resonance with the He 1s level. This mechanism was earlier reported for graphitic carbon. We suggest that it can be applied to a much wider range of materials, leading to potential matrix effects in LEIS from a variety of surfaces, containing B, C and potentially O and N atoms, e.g. borides, carbides, oxides and nitrides, as well as alloys with B and C. This hypothesis is supported by additional LEIS measurements on oxidized Ru which show matrix effect in Ru-O LEIS signals as well. We argue that it is possible to avoid the matrix effects from compounded surfaces within certain ranges of composition by a proper choice of reference samples, while for other compositions knowledge of characteristic velocities is required for reliable quantification.