An iterative computer analysis package for elastic recoil detection (ERD) experiments

doi:10.1016/0168-583X(90)90809-9

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms

Volume 45, Issues 1–4, 2 January 1990, Pages 166-170

https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-583X(90)90809-9 Get rights and content

Abstract

A computer program for routinely calculating the depth profiles of elements in the surface layers of solids from experimental elastic recoil detection (ERD) spectra is described. The program, which is capable of handling a large number of multielement layers, rapidly converges to yield accurate atomic concentration ratios without any a priori assumptions about the composition of an unknown target. The analysis package contains a menu-driven database which facilitates the manipulation and storage of data. It meets the analysis needs of thin-film material sciences, such as microelectronics, where consistent, accurate and fast turnaround of data from a large number of samples is demanded. The output contains a summary of the average concentrations, the widths (in μg/cm²) of each layer, the mass and energy spectra, the individual element depth profile plots as well as a composite depth profile plot of all the elements under consideration.

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Round Robin: Measurement of H implantation distributions in Si by elastic recoil detection
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A 200 mm amorphised Si wafer was implanted with 6-keV H⁺ ions at a nominal fluence of 5 × 10¹⁶ atoms/cm². The uniformity of the implant was better than 2% over the wafer. Samples of the wafer were analysed for absolute H fluence by nuclear reaction analysis and elastic recoil detection (ERD) analysis, including both helium and heavy ion beams, using various types of detector (Si with range foil, time of flight ERD, and a position-sensitive gas ionisation ΔE–E detector), various ion beams (He, Cl, Cu, I, Au) and independent analytical procedures. The results are compared and the inter-lab reproducibility is evaluated. The surface H, unstable under heavy ion beams, was resolved and accounted for throughout the analysis. Estimates of total combined uncertainties are about 6% for all participants, but the inter-lab reproducibility of the measurements was found to be 2.2%. Correct quantification of the H data from the gas ionisation detector is demonstrated. The uncertainty budget is discussed in detail.
Allegria: A new interface to the ERD program
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As a new PC-based acquisition system has been installed to replace the VAX-based system of the elastic recoil detection by time-of-flight (ERD-TOF) and gas-counter ERD setups at University of Montréal, a new analysis software has been developed. It includes a calculation of the energy calibration involving pulse height defects corrections for each element. It has been further improved to process a number of different ERD or Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) spectra in a single run and now incorporates stopping power calculations based on SRIM-2003 parameters. The application comes with a graphical interface that is used to extract mass separated spectra from event-list files. A second application allows the user to input the experimental parameters and prepares a command file that is passed to the ERD program. The latter iteratively converts the energy spectra into depth profiles for each mass. Resulting atomic fractions are normalized to one of the elements, typically the substrate or one of its components. Some examples of analysis for both TOF and gas counter ERD measurements are presented and discussed. The program and source code will be made available to the ion beam analysis community under GNU licensing conditions.
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In heavy ion elastic recoil detection measurements, the multiple and plural scattering of in-going primary ions and out-coming recoiled atoms introduces a major problem for a reliable and accurate analysis of concentration distributions in samples. In this study, a Monte Carlo (MC) code including multiple and plural scattering has been developed for simulation of elastic recoil detection energy spectra. Simulated spectra are in a good agreement with experimental spectra. The influence of the multiple or plural scattering on the energy spectra is discussed. Applications of the MC approach in elastic recoil detection analysis are considered.
Edge supported amorphous silicon membranes for diffraction studies
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Edge-supported membranes of pure, non-porous, amorphous silicon have been prepared by ion implantation and chemical attack. Analysis by elastic recoil detection showed that impurities levels for oxygen and hydrogen are well below 0.1 at.% except in a thin layer at the etched surface. Raman spectroscopy confirmed the amorphous nature of the samples as well as the difference between as-implanted and thermally annealed samples. These samples were later used for X-ray diffraction measurements with the goal of determining reliably the radial distribution function of amorphous silicon with high resolution.
A TOF spectrometer for elastic recoil detection
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An iterative computer analysis package for elastic recoil detection (ERD) experiments

Abstract

Nucl. Instr. and Meth.

Nucl. Instr. and Meth.

Nucl. Data Tables

J. Appl. Phys.