Summary
The physical principles and analytical capabilities of TXRF are discussed and compared to other surface sensitive techniques. Metallic trace impurities on silicon surfaces are readily identified with detection limits down to 1011 atoms/cm2 (10−4 monolayers). Other advantages are simple sample preparation and the possibility of analyzing insulating layers without charging problems. The method has been applied to quantify coverages of Fe, Ni, Cu and Au on Si(100) surfaces, deposited from intentionally doped solutions (NH3/H2O2 and HF/NH4F). It turns out that certain metal/solution combinations cause large surface coverages on the silicon wafer, even if the metal concentration in the solution is very low (μg/kg range).
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Penka, V., Hub, W. Detection of metallic trace impurities on Si(100) surfaces with total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF). Z. Anal. Chem. 333, 586–589 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00572381
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00572381