Interface characteristics of Mo/Si and B4C/Mo/Si multilayers using non-destructive X-ray techniques

A methodology combining non-destructive X-ray techniques is proposed to study the interfacial zones of periodic multilayers. The used X-ray techniques are X-ray emission spectroscopy induced by electrons and X-ray reflectivity in the hard and soft X-ray ranges. The first technique evidences the presence of compounds at the interfaces and gives an estimation of the thickness of the interfacial zone. These informations are used to constrain the fit of the X-ray reflectivity curves that enables to determine the thickness and roughness of the various layers of the stacks. The results are validated in the soft X-ray range where the reflectivity curves are very sensitive to the chemical state of the elements present in the stack. The methodology is applied to characterize Mo/Si (1-4 nm/2 nm) and B₄C/Mo/Si (1 nm/2 nm/2 nm) multilayers. It is shown that the two interfacial zones of the Mo/Si multilayers are composed of the silicides MoSi₂ and Mo₅Si₃. It is found that the interface thickness is about to be 0.4-0.8 nm depending on the samples. The molybdenum silicides are also evidenced at the interfaces of the B₄C/Mo/Si multilayers. However, their interface thickness is 0.2 nm thinner than that of the same stack without the B₄C layers, these layers being at the Mo-on-Si side or at the Si-on-Mo side. Thus, the B₄C layers do not stop but only reduce the interdiffusion between the Mo and Si layers.     

Mo/Si软X射线多层膜的界面粗糙度研究

 用磁控溅射法分别制备了以Mo膜层和Si膜层为顶层的Mo/Si多层膜系列, 利用小角X射线衍射确定了各多层膜的周期厚度。以不同周期数的Mo/Si多层膜的新鲜表面近似等同于同一多层膜的内界面,通过原子力显微镜研究了多层膜界面粗糙度随膜层数的变化规律。并在国家同步辐射实验室测量了各多层膜的软X射线反射率。研究表明：随着膜层数的增加,Mo膜层和Si膜层的界面粗糙度先减小后增加然后再减小,多层膜的峰值反射率先增加后减小。     

Interface roughness, surface roughness and soft X-ray reflectivity of Mo/Si multilayers with different layer number

A series of Mo/Si multilayers with the same periodic length and different periodic number were prepared by magnetron sputtering, whose top layers were respectively Mo layer and Si layer. Periodic length and interface roughness of Mo/Si multilayers were determined by small angle X-ray diffraction (SAXRD).Surface roughness change curve of Mo/Si multilayer with increasing layer number was studied by atomic force microscope (AFM). Soft X-ray reflectivity of Mo/Si multilayers was measured in National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (NSRL). Theoretical and experimental results show that the soft X-ray reflectivity of Mo/Si multilayer is mainly determined by periodic number and interface roughness, surface roughness has little effect on reflectivity.     

高反射率Mo/B4C多层膜设计及制备

 运用遗传算法优化设计了Mo/B₄C多层膜结构。入射光入射角度取10°时,设计的理想多层膜膜对数为150,周期为3.59 nm,Gamma值（Mo膜厚与周期的比值）为0.41,峰值反射率为33.29%。采用恒功率模式直流磁控溅射方法制作Mo/B₄C多层膜。通过在Mo/B4C多层膜与基底之间增加15 nm厚的Cr粘附层,提高多层膜与基底的粘附力。另外,还采用调整多层膜Gamma值的方法减小其内应力,调整后多层膜结构周期为3.59 nm, Mo膜厚1.97 nm, B4C膜厚1.62 nm,峰值反射率26.34％。制备了膜对数为150的Mo/B₄C膜并测量了其反射率,在波长7.03 nm处,Mo/B₄C多层膜的近正入射反射率为21.0％。最后对测量结果进行了拟合,拟合得到Mo/B₄C多层膜的周期为3.60 nm,Gamma值0.60,界面粗糙度为0.30 nm。     

软X射线Mo/B_4C多层膜应力和热稳定性研究

为了实现7nm波段Mo/B4C多层膜反射镜元件的制备,研究了不同退火方式对Mo/B4C多层膜应力和热稳定性的影响。首先,采用直流磁控溅射方法分别基于石英和硅基板制作Mo/B4C多层膜样品,设计周期为3.58nm、周期数为60,Mo膜层厚度与周期的比值为0.4。其次,采用不同的退火方式对所制作的样品进行退火实验,最高退火温度500℃。最后,分别采用X射线掠入射反射、X射线散射和光学干涉仪的方法对退火前后的Mo/B4C多层膜的周期、界面粗糙度和应力进行测试。测试结果表明采用真空退火方式能够有效降低Mo/B4C多层膜的应力,且退火前后Mo/B4C多层膜的周期和界面粗糙度无明显变化,证明Mo/B4C多层膜在500℃以内具有很好的热稳定性。     

Mo/Si多层膜小角X射线衍射结构表征

为了实现对Mo/Si多层膜的结构表征,测量了多层膜样品的小角X射线衍射谱。介绍了小角X射线衍射谱的分析方法,包括Bragg峰值拟合法,傅里叶变换法,反射谱拟合法。Bragg峰值拟合法和反射谱拟合法得到多层膜的周期厚度为7.09nm,两种模型的反射谱拟合法得到界面的粗糙度(扩散长度)为0.40～0.41nm(Si在Mo上),0.52～0.70nm(Mo在Si上),前者要比后者小,这与透射电镜法(TEM)得到的结果0.40nm(Si在Mo上),0.6～0.65nm(Mo在Si上)是一致的。通过基于扩散模型的反射谱拟合法得到的折射率剖面也与由高倍率透射电镜(HRTEM)积分得到的灰度值剖面在趋势上是一致的。通过X射线衍射谱和TEM图像对Mo/Si多层膜进行综合表征,得到了多层膜的精细结构信息,这对多层膜制备工艺的优化具有十分重要的意义。     

Structure and mechanical properties of Al/AlN multilayer with different AlN layer thickness

Nanometer scale Al/AlN multilayers have been prepared by dc magnetron sputtering technique with a columnar target. A set of Al/AlN multilayers with the Al layer thickness of 2.9 nm and the AlN layer thickness variation from 1.13 to 6.81 nm were determined. Low angle X-ray diffraction (LAXRD) was used to analyze the layered structure of multilayers. The phase structure of the coatings was investigated with grazing angle XRD (GAXRD). Mechanical properties of these multilayers were thoroughly studied using a nanoindentation and ball-on-disk micro-tribometer. It was found that the multilayer hardness and reduced modulus showed no strong dependence on the AlN layer thickness. Al2.9 nm/AlN1.13 nm multilayer had more excellent tribological properties than single layers and other proportion multilayers with a lowest friction coefficient of 0.15. And the tribological properties of all the multilayers are superior to the AlN single layer.     

软X射线Mo/Si多层膜反射率拟合分析

由于多层膜的表界面粗糙度和材料之间的相互扩散等因素，导致多层膜的实际反射率小于理论计算的反射率，因此，多层膜结构参量的确定对镀膜工艺参量的标定具有重要意义。由于描述单个非理想粗糙界面散射的Stearns法适用于软X射线短波段区域，采用它的数学模型来描述软X射线多层膜的粗糙度，利用最小二乘法曲线拟合法对同步辐射测得的Mo／Si多层膜的反射率曲线进行拟合，得到了非常好的拟合结果，从而确定了多层膜结构参量，同时分析了多层膜周期厚度，厚度比率，界面宽度以及仪器光谱分辨率对多层膜反射特性的影响，这些工作都为镀膜工艺改进提供了一定的理论依据。     

Effect of amorphous C films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering on smoothing K9 glass substrate

Soft X-ray multilayer reflectors must be deposited on super-smooth surface such as super-polished silicon wafers or glasses, which are complicate, time-consuming and expensive to produce. To overcome this shortage, C films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering were considered to smooth the K9 glass substrates’ surface in the present paper. The structure of C films was systematically studied by XRD and Raman spectrum. The surface morphology and rms-roughness were obtained by AFM. Then, we calculated the impact of the C layers on the reflectivity curve of Mo/Si soft X-ray multilayer reflector around 13.5 nm. The C films exhibit typical amorphous state. With the increasing of power and thickness, the content of sp3 hybrid bonding decreases while the amount or size of well-organized graphite clusters increases. The surface rms-roughness decreases from 2.4 nm to 0.62 nm after smoothed by an 80 nm thick C layer deposited in 500 W, which is the smoothest C layer surface we have obtained. The calculation results show that the theoretical normal incidence reflectivity of Mo/Si multilayer at 13.5 nm increases from 7% to 63%.     

Investigation in the interface roughness of DC-sputtered Mo/B4C multilayer mirrors with variable layer pairs for 7-nm soft X-ray polarizers

The surface and interface roughness of Mo/B₄C multilayer mirrors for 7-nm soft X-ray polarizer with variable layer pairs (N = 50, 70, 90 and 110), fabricated by DC sputtering technique is investigated by atomic force microscopy and X-ray scattering and reflecting. The experimental results present that the surface and interface roughness of Mo/B₄C multilayer mirrors increase layer by layer from its substrate as its Mo layer thickness greater than 2 nm, and the roughness grown tendency could be characterized by a quadratic function.     

Mo/Si多层膜表面保护层设计

为提高Mo/Si多层膜的稳定性与使用寿命,通过分析多层膜驻波电场的分布,对表面保护层及多层膜最上层材料的厚度进行优化设计,使优化后的反射率最高.计算表明,一定厚度的表面保护层总对应一个最优的最上层材料厚度.在13.36 nm波长,膜对数为50的Mo/Si多层膜10度入射的理论反射率为74.47%;当添加厚度为2.3 nm的Ru作为表面保护层,对应多层膜最上层Si的优化厚度为3.93 nm,其理论反射率为75.20％.设计结果表明,通过优化设计表面保护层,可以提高多层膜稳定性,改善多层膜性能.     

Characteristics of ZrC/ZrN and ZrC/TiN multilayers grown by pulsed laser deposition

ZrC/ZrN and ZrC/TiN multilayers were grown on (1 0 0) Si substrates at 300 °C by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique using a KrF excimer laser. X-ray diffraction investigations showed that films were crystalline, the strain and grain size depending on the nature and pressure of the gas used during deposition. The elemental composition, analyzed by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), showed that films contained a low level of oxygen contamination. Simulations of the X-ray reflectivity (XRR) curves acquired from films indicated a smooth surface morphology, with roughness below 1 nm (rms) and densities very close to bulk values.Nanoindentation results showed that the ZrC/ZrN and ZrC/TiN multilayer samples exhibited hardness values between 30 and 33 GPa, slightly higher than the values of 28-30 GPa measured for pure ZrC, TiN and ZrN films.     

用不同的Mo靶溅射功率制备Mo/Si多层膜

 用磁控溅射法制备了周期厚度和周期数均相同的Mo/Si多层膜,用原子力显微镜和小角X射线衍射分别研究了Mo靶溅射功率不相同时,Mo/Si多层膜表面形貌和晶相的变化。随后在国家同步辐射实验室测量了Mo/Si多层膜的软X射线反射率。研究发现,随着Mo靶溅射功率的增大,Mo/Si多层膜的表面粗糙度增加,Mo的特征X射线衍射峰也增强,Mo/Si多层膜的软X射线峰值反射率先增大后减小。     

Some improvement in Fe/Si multilayered neutron polarizor by modified sputtering geometry

Aperture geometry of magnetron sputtering unit was modified by insertion of longitudinal [B] and transverse [A] slits with respect to the motion of substrate. Fe-, Si-mono and Fe/Si multilayer [Fe (70 Å)/Si (50 Å)]₁₀ (called ML70) were grown with and without modified apertures. Maximum stress anisotropy was found in samples prepared with transverse modified aperture [A]. X-ray reflectometry (XRR) results showed a marked difference in roughness values of interdiffusion layers Fe-_Si and Si-_Fe. Magnetic measurements showed coercive field strength of 50 Oe in ML70 prepared by modified aperture geometry Fe[A]/Si[O]. A significant improvement in the neutron polarization efficiency is observed in multilayer ML70 with the use of modified aperture geometry as compared to similar sample prepared by normal aperture.     

Structure of PtFe/Fe double-period multilayers investigated by X-ray diffraction, reflectivity, diffuse scattering and TEM

Double-period [(Pt 1.7 nm/Fe 0.9 nm)₅Fe(t_Fe2)]₈ and [(Pt 1.8 nm/Fe 0.6 nm)₅Fe(t_Fe2)]₈ multilayers with different thickness t_Fe2 (between 0.23 and 4.32 nm) of the additional Fe layers, prepared by combinatorial sputter deposition, show differences in the mosaic spread and the vertical interfacial roughness when deposited on native or thermally oxidised Si wafers. Simulations of the wide-angle X-ray scattering intensities revealed the presence of interdiffusion in the (Pt/Fe)₅ bilayers and systematic variations of the grain sizes, perpendicular to the film surface, as well as the rms variations of the two superlattice periods with the total film thickness. A comparison of ω-rocking scans shows an increase of the correlated vertical roughness of the (Pt/Fe)₅ multilayers with the total multilayer thickness.     

Ion beam sputter deposited W/Si multilayers: Influence of re-sputtering on the interface structure and structure modification at ultra short periods

X-ray multilayer mirrors of period ranging from 9.6 to 1.7 nm, deposited using ion beam sputtering, have been examined using grazing incidence X-ray reflectivity (GIXRR) and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction. Detailed analysis of GIXRR data revealed that significant amount of re-sputtering of Si layer takes place while W deposition is underway. Re-sputtering is mainly due to bombardment of high-energy neutrals getting reflected from the W target. Due to re-sputtering interface of the multilayer becomes asymmetric. This puts a major hindrance in avoiding the intermixing and achieving sharp interfaces at shorter periods. Maximum thickness of Si which gets lost due to re-sputtering during deposition is ∼0.8 nm. The shortest period multilayer estimated, that could be deposited without intermixing, was 2.7 nm. These results are of significance for developing low period W/Si multilayers.     

中心波长为13．9nm的正入射Mo／Si多层膜

用由铜靶激光等离子体光源等组成的反射率计对自行设计的周期厚度为7.14nm的120层Mo/Si多层膜进行极紫外(EUV)波段反射率测量。由于多层膜层数增加所引起的吸收、膜层界面之间的扩散以及镀膜过程中的膜厚控制误差或表面被氧化(污染)等原因,正入射Mo/Si多层膜在13.9nm处的反射率低于理论计算值73.2%,最后用原子力显微镜(AFM)测量其表面粗糙度为σ=0.401nm。     

The structure of Mo/Si multilayers prepared in the conditions of ionic assistance

The influence of a negative substrate-applied bias potential on the structure of periodic Mo/Si multilayer compositions has been investigated by means of cross-sectional electron microscopy, small-angle X-ray reflectivity, X-ray diffraction and by modeling the small-angle spectra. It is known that the crystalline structure of molybdenum layers is the main source of interface roughness. In the absence of a bias potential application, the interface roughness tends to develop from the substrate towards the surface of a Mo/Si multilayer composition. A negative bias potential (up to -200 V) applied to a substrate during silicon layer deposition leads to smoother interfaces and improves the layer morphology. After increasing the bias potential over -200 V a considerable growth of an amorphous interlayer transition zone can be observed at Si-on-Mo interfaces. By raising the bias potential during the deposition of Mo layers a development of roughness at Mo-on-Si interfaces as well as growing interlayer thicknesses were found. PACS 61.10.Kw; 68.37.-d; 68.65.Ac     

Thickness dependence on thermal stability of sputtered Ag nanolayer on Ti/Si(1 0 0)

Thermal stability of Ag layer on Ti coated Si substrate for different thicknesses of the Ag layer have been studied. To do this, after sputter-deposition of a 10 nm Ti buffer layer on the Si(1 0 0) substrate, an Ag layer with different thicknesses (150-5 nm) was sputtered on the buffer layer. Post annealing process of the samples was performed in an N₂ ambient at a flow rate of 200 ml/min in a temperature range from 500 to 700 °C for 30 min. The electrical property of the heat-treated multilayer with the different thicknesses of Ag layer was examined by four-point-probe sheet resistance measurement at the room temperature. Phase formation and crystallographic orientation of the silver layers were studied by θ-2θ X-ray diffraction analysis. The surface topography and morphology of the heat-treated films were determined by atomic force microscopy, and also, scanning electron microscopy. Four-point- probe electrical measurement showed no considerable variation of sheet resistance by reducing the thickness of the annealed Ag films down to 25 nm. Surface roughness of the Ag films with (1 1 1) preferred crystallographic orientation was much smaller than the film thickness, which is a necessary condition for nanometric contact layers. Therefore, we have shown that the Ag layers with suitable nano-thicknesses sputtered on 10 nm Ti buffer layer were thermally stable up to 700 °C.     

Tensile crack patterns in Mo/Si multilayers on Si substrates under high-temperature bending

Mo/Si multilayers with a single-layer thickness in the nanometre range (60 Mo/Si layers in total) were deposited on Si(100) substrates by dc magnetron sputtering. Upon uniaxial bending at elevated temperatures between 300 and 440 °C in vacuum, unconventional crack patterns formed in the multilayers. Tensile stress within the multilayer stack and Si substrate due to bending during thermal treatment was estimated to be on the order of 100 MPa. A combination of external bending, residual and thermal stresses is considered to be the reason for this phenomenon. Cracks had either a sinusoidal or a spiral shape. The surface frequency of the spirals observed was 10 cm^-2, with a track width of 30 m and a spiral diameter of 300 m. In general, cracking was accompanied by complete local de-bonding of the whole Mo/Si multilayer stack from the substrate. Fracture patterns were studied by optical microscopy. In addition, the morphological parameters of the remaining non-delaminated multilayers were determined by means of X-ray reflectometry supported by investigation of phase content by wide-angle X-ray scattering . PACS 68.35.-p; 68.35.Bs; 68.90.+g; 81.05.Zx