Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

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

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

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.

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

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Marcus R, Broeckaert J (2003) Glow discharge plasmas in analytical spectroscopy. Wiley, England

    Google Scholar 

  2. Hoffmann V, Kasik M, Robinson PK, Venzago C (2005) Anal Bioanal Chem 381:173–188

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Angeli J, Bengston A, Bogaerts A, Hoffmann V, Hodoroaba VD, Steers EB (2003) J Anal At Spectrom 18:670–679

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Winchester MR, Payling R (2004) Spectrochim Acta Part B 59:607–666

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Nelis T (2006) Appl Spectros Rev 41:227–258

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Hofmann S (2003) Surf Interface Anal 35:556–563

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Escobar Galindo R, Forniès E, Albella JM (2005) J Anal At Spectrom 20:1108–1115

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Auciello O (1984) Ion bombardment modification of surfaces. Elsevier, New York

    Google Scholar 

  9. Behrisch R (1981) Sputtering by particle bombardment I. Physical sputtering of single-element solids. Springer, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  10. Sigmund P (1969) Phys Rev 184:383–416

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Kowalski Z (1998) Electron Technology (Warsaw) 31:477–486

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Otte K, Lippold G, Frost F, Schindler A, Bigl F, Yakushev M, Tomlinson R (1999) J Vac Sci Technol, A 17:19–25

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Eklund E, Snyder E, Williams R (1993) Surf Sci 285:157–180

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Vishnyakov V, Carter G, Goddard D, Nobes M (1995) Vacuum 46:637–643

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Chason E, Mayer T, Kellerman B, McIlroy D, Howard A (1994) Phys Rev Lett 72:3040–3043

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Ye Y, Marcus R (1997) J Anal At Spectrom 12:33–41

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Shimizu K, Habazaki H, Skeldon P, Thompson GE (2003) Surf Interface Anal 35

  18. Bruhn CG, Harrison WW (1978) Anal Chem 50:16–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Daughtrey EH Jr, Donohue DL, Slevin PJ, Harrison WW (1975) Anal Chem 47:683–688

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Shimizu K, Habazaki H, Skeldon P, Thompson GE, Wood GC (1999) Surf Interface Anal 27:950–954

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Shimizu K, Habazaki H, Skeldon P, Thompson GE, Marcus K (2001) Surf Interface Anal 31:859–873

    Google Scholar 

  22. Chen L, Simmonds MC, Habesch S, Rodenburg JM (2001) Surf Interface Anal 31:206–211

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Molchan IS, Thompson GE, Skeldon P, Chapon P, Tempez A, Malherbe J, Lobo Revilla L, Bordel N, Belenguer P, Ganciu M, Hohl M (2009) J Anal At Spectrom 24:734–741

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Shimizu K, Mitani T (2008) A new world of scanning electron microscopy. Keio University Publications, Japan

    Google Scholar 

  25. Zhang X, Sloof WG, Hovestad A, Van Westing EP, de Wit JH (2005) Surf Coat Technol 197:168–176

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. American Society of Mechanical Engineers (2002) Surface texture: surface roughness, waviness and lay, ASME B46.1

  27. Malherbe J, Martinez H, Fernández B, Donard OFX (2009) Spectrochim Acta Part B 64:155–166

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Payling R, Jones DG, Bengston A (1997) Glow discharge optical emission spectrometry. Wiley, Chichester

    Google Scholar 

Download references

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.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. IPREM-LCABIE (UMR CNRS 5254), Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, 2 Av. Président Angot, 64053, Pau, France

    Julien Malherbe & Olivier F. X. Donard

  2. IPREM-ECP (UMR CNRS 5254), Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, 2 Av. Président Angot, 64053, Pau, France

    Hervé Martinez

  3. Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Oviedo, Julian Clavería, 8, 33006, Oviedo, Spain

    Beatriz Fernández

Authors
  1. Julien Malherbe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hervé Martinez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Beatriz Fernández
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Olivier F. X. Donard
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Julien Malherbe.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Malherbe, J., Martinez, H., Fernández, B. et al. Investigation of glow-discharge-induced morphology modifications on silicon wafers and chromium conversion coatings by AFM and rugosimetry. Anal Bioanal Chem 396, 2841–2853 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-009-3359-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-009-3359-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation