Structural analysis of DC magnetron sputtered and spin coated thin films using RBS, TEM and X-ray reflectivity methods

Metallic thin films such as Au, Cr, Ag, etc., on silicon substrate have many technologically important applications as contact layers in microelectronic industry, as reflecting mirrors in synchrotron radiation research, etc. The native oxide layer on crystalline silicon surface inhibits wetting of few nm thick Au or Ag on native oxide/silicon systems. To obtain continuous thin metallic films (a few nm thick), a Cr layer was first deposited as a adhesion layer on the Si substrate. In this paper, Rutherford backscattering analysis (RBS) of Si/Cr/SiO₂/Si, Si/Au/SiO₂/Si, Si/Au/Cr/SiO₂/Si and Polystyrene (PS) polymer coated on some of these bi- or tri-layer structures has been reported. The X-ray reflectometry and transmission electron microscopy studies were carried out to complement the RBS measurements. The thickness, surface and interface roughness, and crystalline quality have been determined.