Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry

, Volume 396, Issue 8, pp 2841–2853 | Cite as

Investigation of glow-discharge-induced morphology modifications on silicon wafers and chromium conversion coatings by AFM and rugosimetry

  • Julien Malherbe
  • Hervé Martinez
  • Beatriz Fernández
  • Olivier F. X. Donard
Original Paper
First Online:
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:

Abstract

The effect of radiofrequency glow-discharge sputtering on the sample surface in terms of modifications in the surface morphology were investigated in this work by using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and rugosimetry measurements. The influence of GD operating parameters (e.g. rf power, discharge pressure and sputtering time) on surface roughening was investigated using two different types of samples: mirror-polished and homogeneous silicon wafers and chromate conversion coatings (CCCs). Surface morphology changes produced by GD sputtering into the sample surface were carefully investigated by AFM and rugosimetry, both at the original sample surface and at the bottom of GD craters using different GD experimental conditions, such as the sputtering time (from 1 s to 20 min), rf forward power (20–60 W for the Si wafer and 10–60 W for the CCC), and discharge pressure (400–1,000 Pa for the Si wafer and 500–1000 Pa for the CCC). In the present study, GD-induced morphology modifications were observed after rf-GD-OES analysis, both for the silicon wafers and the CCC. Additionally, the changes observed in surface roughness after GD sputtering were found to be sample-dependent, changing the proportion, shape and roughness of the micro-sized patterns and holes with the sample matrix and the GD conditions.

Figure

Analysis of the morphology using AFM in craters formed after Glow Discharge sputtering

Keywords

Glow discharge spectrometry Atomic force microscopy Rugosimetry Morphology In-depth profile analysis Semiconductor materials Interface/surface analysis 
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Notes

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge Olivier Eterradossi, Hélène Garaï and Jean-Serge Bidoret from the Ecole des Mines d’Alès in Pau for providing access and technical support on the rugosimeter. Also, Beatriz Fernández acknowledges financial support from “Juan de la Cierva” Research Programme of the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain, co-financed by the European Social Fund. Finally, the authors want to express their gratitude to Patrick Chapon and Horiba Jobin Yvon for providing access to the Profiler 2 instrument and for their helpful comments.

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 2009

Authors and Affiliations

  • Julien Malherbe
    • 1
  • Hervé Martinez
    • 2
  • Beatriz Fernández
    • 3
  • Olivier F. X. Donard
    • 1
  1. 1.IPREM-LCABIE (UMR CNRS 5254)Université de Pau et des Pays de l’AdourPauFrance
  2. 2.IPREM-ECP (UMR CNRS 5254)Université de Pau et des Pays de l’AdourPauFrance
  3. 3.Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of ChemistryUniversity of OviedoOviedoSpain

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