Interface structure of MBE-grownCoSi2/Si/CoSi2layers on Si(111)

Abstract

The detailed interface structure of a CoSi 2 /Si/CoSi 2 /Si͑111͒ layer system grown by molecular-beam epitaxy is investigated in this paper. Measurements of the diffuse scattering in the region of total external reflection were performed and analyzed within the distorted-wave Born approximation. The analysis of the specularly reflected and the diffusely scattered intensity leads to a consistent set of interface and layer parameters, which are compared with results of Rutherford backscattering/channeling, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy. Although the diffuse intensity is dominated by a very rough surface layer, the roughness distribution of the buried interfaces of the epitaxial layers was determined rather exactly. It was found that the roughnesses of the interfaces of all epitaxial layers are of the order of monolayer steps. Very good agreement between the measurements and the calculations is achieved, if conformal roughness of the adjacent interfaces of each CoSi 2 layer is included. Furthermore, the interfaces of the sandwiched Si layer are partially correlated, which means that the step structure is partially transferred through all interfaces up to the surface of the upper CoSi 2 layer.

Probing surface and interface morphology with Grazing Incidence Small Angle X-Ray Scattering

“…identical interfaces (iii) partially conformal layers. Several models of cross-correlation or replication between layer roughnesses have been treated in the literature starting from a Edwards Wilkinson Langevin [179] equation of diffusion-like propagation of roughness [167,190,183] or with an exponential form [191,59,192,15,14], both depending on a perpendicular correlation length ξ ⊥ . The growth of multilayers on a stepped substrate leads to the special case of roughness replication tilted with respect to the growth direction [193,194].…”

Depth-resolved investigation of the lateral magnetic correlations in a gradient nanocrystalline multilayer

“…[51][52][53]60 More recently a cross section for the scattering of soft x rays by magnetically rough interfaces has been presented. 61,62 Here we give the final result in the small Q Ќ · limit, 51,53 that we extend to polarized neutron scattering from interfaces between magnetic layers.…”

Structure and morphology of Cu/Ni film grown by electrodeposition method: A study of neutron reflectivity and AFM

“…In the present sample the Cu and Ni layers are about 300 Å thick and vertical correlation has been neglected between the interfaces. The diffuse scattering cross-section from a multilayer system under DWBA is given by [8][9][10]38] …”

“…In other words one obtains one dimensional density gradient from specular reflectivity. Off-specular x-ray and neutron reflectivity are increasingly being used to study the in-plane structure or morphology of the surfaces [6][7][8][9][10]. There are several imaging techniques, e.g., Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM), Atom Force Microscopy (AFM), etc., which allow one to view the film surface by mapping the height of the surface at the airfilm interface.…”

“…The application of off-specular x-ray and neutron reflectivity have become widespread, including study of capillary-wave fluctuations at a liquid surface [11], partially correlated interface roughness in multilayers [8,9,10,12], laterally modulated structure of periodic gratings [13,14], morphology of diblock copolymers [15][16][17][18] and other systems [19][20][21]. Detailed understanding of in-plane morphology and roughness of interfaces of a layer system is required to understand the influence of these factors on magnetic, electric and optical properties of layered systems [22][23][24].…”