Improvement of Depth Resolution in Sputter Profiling by Cooling Specimens

Abstract

A substantial improvement in the depth resolution of sputter-depth profiles obtained using Auger electron spectroscopy was attained by cooling specimens to nearly liquid-nitrogen temperature during the sputtering process. The effectiveness of this method is illustrated by comparing profiles obtained at different temperatures from the simultaneously prepared Ag/Cu multilayer thin film structures. It is presumed that the effects of the cooling are caused by the suppression of irradiation-induced diffusion and/or of annealing of the more or less amorphized surfaces.