Elsevier

Applied Surface Science

Volume 582, 30 April 2022, 152385
Applied Surface Science

Full Length Article
Evaluation of AES depth profiles with serious artefacts in C/W multilayers

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2021.152385Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • AES depth profiling produced WC at the interfaces of C/W multilayer system.

  • C/W and W/C transitions in AES depth profiling of C/W multilayers were different.

  • Reconstruction of AES depth profile with artefact is based on TRIDYN simulation.

  • Reconstruction of AES depth profiles of Xe+ mixed C/W multilayers.

Abstract

Ion beam mixing was applied to produce tungsten carbide nano-layers in C/W nano-multilayer structures, which was studied by Auger electron spectroscopy depth profiling. The destructive AES depth profiling caused serious artefacts such as tungsten-carbide production at the interfaces, even when choosing the optimal sputter removal conditions. Here we show that ion mixing due to the AES depth profiling could be described by TRIDYN simulation, and compound formation could be also estimated by introducing a simple model. Thus, despite the serious artefact production the original pristine depth distribution could be reconstructed. This evaluation method has been checked on C/W layer systems containing tungsten-carbide enrichment in the interface region (due to high energy ion beam mixing); the true in-depth distribution could be reconstructed. It has been found also that with increasing carbide formation the artefact production decreases allowing the use the AES depth profiling without reconstruction.

Keywords

Multilayers
Tungsten-carbide
WC
Coating
AES depth profiling
TRIDYN

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