Quantitative Thin Film Composition and Thickness Determinations
Probe for EPMA provides optimized capabilities for rapid and automated acquisition of thin films for determining composition and thickness. Using automated multi-voltage sampling on standards and unknowns we obtain accurate quantitative analysis of thin film materials on electron opaque substrates (and unsupported films).
By leveraging STRATAGem or BadgerFilm data re-processing applications, which utilize the Pouchou-Pichior Multi-Voltage-Analysis (MVA) methods, Probe for EPMA can automatically acquire multiple data sets at optimized electron beam energies to simultaneously determine both thickness and composition in all thin film materials on substrates or unsupported films.
By utilizing Multi-Voltage-Analysis (MVA), Probe for EPMA can automatically acquire multiple data sets at optimized electron beam energies to simultaneously determine both thickness and composition in all thin film materials.
Automatically Acquire Multi-Voltage Intensities for Thin Film Determinations
Based on work by Pouchou and Pichior, this robust and flexible multi-voltage acquisition (MVA) method even allows for the accurate determination of multiple layers on substrates with excellent accuracy. Due to the superb sensitivity of EPMA, film thicknesses down to a few nanometers can be also characterized with confidence.
In cases where the same element is present in both the film and substrate, e.g., Si/Ge on Si wafers, this method can be combined with x-ray reflectivity (XRR) to robustly determine the unknown composition even on complex and insulating substrates such as Dow 1737 FPD glass.