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A Method for Evaluating the Thickness of Ultrathin Coatings from X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Data

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Abstract

A method is proposed for evaluating the thickness of ultrathin films from x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data with allowance made for photoelectron elastic scattering in solids and nondipolar transitions in photoionization. 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. Experimental data are simulated using the Monte Carlo method. The two procedures ensure roughly equal accuracies (about 6%) in reproducing the thicknesses of surface films used in simulations.

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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, Linnéstrasse 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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Nefedov, V.I., Yarzhemsky, V.G., Nefedova, I.S. et al. A Method for Evaluating the Thickness of Ultrathin Coatings from X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Data. Inorganic Materials 40, 891–895 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:INMA.0000037940.19627.ff

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:INMA.0000037940.19627.ff

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