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Determination of the Thickness of Ultrathin Gold Films from X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Data

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Abstract

A method based on x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and taking into account photoelectron elastic scattering in solids and nondipolar transitions in photoionization is used to evaluate the thickness d of ultrathin gold films Two procedures for varying the photoelectron path in a film are examined: by rotating the analyzer and the sample. Both approaches have significant advantages over the straight-line approximation, which does not take into account elastic scattering and gives considerably overestimated d. Experimental data are simulated using the Monte Carlo method. The two procedures ensure roughly equal accuracies (about 5%) in reproducing the film thicknesses used in simulations. The rotating analyzer method typically gives slightly higher values of d in comparison with the rotating sample method.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskii pr. 31, Moscow, 119991, Russia

    V. I. Nefedov, V. G. Yarzhemsky & I. S. Nefedova

  2. Wilhelm Ostwald Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Leipzig University, Linnestrasse 2, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany

    R. Szargan

Authors
  1. V. I. Nefedov
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  2. V. G. Yarzhemsky
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  3. I. S. Nefedova
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  4. R. Szargan
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__________

Translated from Neorganicheskie Materialy, Vol. 41, No. 9, 2005, pp. 1076–1080.

Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Nefedov, Yarzhemsky, Nefedova, Szargan.

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Nefedov, V.I., Yarzhemsky, V.G., Nefedova, I.S. et al. Determination of the Thickness of Ultrathin Gold Films from X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Data. Inorg Mater 41, 945–949 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10789-005-0243-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10789-005-0243-5

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