U.S. patent number 3,916,190 [Application Number 05/447,378] was granted by the patent office on 1975-10-28 for depth profile analysis apparatus.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company. Invention is credited to Robert F. Goff, Alastair Valentine.
United States Patent |
3,916,190 |
Valentine , et al. |
October 28, 1975 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Depth profile analysis apparatus
Abstract
An apparatus and method for depth profile analysis in which
atoms are removed from a surface by sputtering thereby forming a
crater from successively exposed portions of a solid, which
portions are then elementally analyzed. The improvement of the
present invention comprises deflecting a primary ion beam across
the surface to form a crater extending about a predetermined region
of the surface and enabling the production of a signal indicative
of surface atoms of a given mass only when the primary ion beam is
impinging upon a smaller portion of the predetermined region,
thereby ensuring that the signal is representative of atoms within
the smaller portion, such as at the bottom of the crater.
Inventors: |
Valentine; Alastair (West St.
Paul, MN), Goff; Robert F. (White Bear Lake, MN) |
Assignee: |
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing
Company (St. Paul, MN)
|
Family
ID: |
23776142 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/447,378 |
Filed: |
March 1, 1974 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
250/305; 250/309;
850/5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01N
23/203 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G01N
23/203 (20060101); G01N 23/20 (20060101); H01J
039/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;250/305,306,307,309,310 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Lawrence; James W.
Assistant Examiner: Nelms; D. C.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Alexander; Sell, Steldt &
DeLaHunt
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method for improved compositional depth profile analysis
comprising the steps of
a. providing a target support for supporting in a predetermined
location a sample at least a portion of which is to be depth
profile analyzed;
b. producing a beam of primary ions having a known mass
substantially the same known kinetic energy;
c. directing said primary ions along a beam axis towards a surface
of said sample;
d. transmitting scattered primary ions having a second known
kinetic energy value less than the original kinetic energy of the
primary ions indicative of surface atoms within a predetermined
region of said surface as have a given mass; and
e. receiving the transmitted ions and converting the received ions
into an electronic signal; wherein the improvement comprises
f. moving said primary ion beam with respect to said sample to
cause said beam to traverse and to impinge on said predetermined
region; and
g. sensing the position of the primary ion beam on said
predetermined region and enabling the production of said electronic
signal when the beam is within a smaller portion of the
predetermined region to produce a signal associated with only such
surface atoms as have said given mass and are located within said
smaller portion.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of producing
said beam of primary ions comprises producing a beam of primary
ions having a known mass and substantially the same known kinetic
energy, and said transmitting step comprises transmitting scattered
primary ions having a second known kinetic energy value less than
the original kinetic energy of the primary ions.
3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting step
comprises transmitting such ions as are produced upon sputtering
atoms from within said predetermined region and have a given
mass.
4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of moving the
primary ion beam further comprises moving the beam with respect to
said sample in at least two directions such that said predetermined
region is defined by an area scanned by said primary beam and
wherein the step of sensing and enabling further comprises gating
said electronic signal when the beam is within a smaller portion of
said scanned area.
5. An apparatus for compositional depth profile analysis
comprising
a. a target support for supporting in a predetermined location a
sample at least a portion of which is to be depth profile
analyzed;
b. ion generator means producing a beam of primary ions having a
known mass and substantially the same known kinetic energy;
c. means for directing said primary ions along a beam axis towards
a surface of said sample;
d. means for transmitting ions having a second known kinetic energy
value less than the original primary ion indicative of surface
atoms within a predetermined region of said surface as have a given
mass; and
e. means for receiving the transmitted ions and converting the
received ions into an electronic signal; wherein the improvement
comprises
f. means for moving said primary ion beam with respect to said
sample to cause said beam to traverse and to impinge on said
predetermined region; and
g. means for sensing the position of the primary ion beam on said
predetermined region and for enabling the production of said
electronic signal when the beam is within a smaller portion of the
predetermined region to produce a signal associated with only such
surface atoms as have said given mass and are located within said
smaller portion.
6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said means for
producing said beam of primary ions comprises means for producing a
beam of primary ions having a known mass and substantially the same
known kinetic energy, and said means for transmitting ions
comprises means for transmitting scattered primary ions having a
second known kinetic energy value less than the original kinetic
energy of the primary ions.
7. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said transmitting
means comprises means for transmitting such ions as are produced
upon sputtering atoms from within said predetermined region and
have a given mass.
8. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said means for moving
the primary ion beam further comprises means for moving the beam
with respect to said sample in at least two directions such that
said predetermined region is defined by an area scanned by said
primary beam and wherein said means for sensing and enabling
further comprises means for gating said electronic signal when the
beam is within a smaller portion of said scanned area.
9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said moving means is
adapted to repetitively deflect said beam of primary ions in two
substantially orthogonal directions across said area.
10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said gating means
comprises means synchronized to said repetitive deflection and
adapted for sensing a predetermined time interval after the onset
of each deflection, said predetermined time interval corresponding
to the interval during which said primary beam is within said
smaller portion.
11. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said moving means
comprises at least two beam deflection members and is adapted for
applying gradually varying amplitude signals to each of said
members to form force fields resulting in said deflection and
wherein said gating means comprises means adapted for sensing
predetermined segments of each of said gradually varying amplitude
signals corresponding to the interval during which said primary ion
beam is within said smaller portion.
12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said gating means
further comprises means for setting said predetermined segment,
means coupled to said moving means for receiving a said varying
amplitude signal corresponding to that applied to each of said
deflection members, means for comparing said predetermined segments
with said varying amplitude signals and for providing trigger
signals whenever the level of either of said varying amplitude
signals are within said predetermined segments, and gate means
responsive to said trigger signals for providing an enable signal
whenever trigger signals indicating that both said varying
amplitude signals within said predetermined segments are present.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus and methods utilizing ion
bombardment of solid surfaces to remove by sputtering portions of
that surface, whereby a depth profile analysis of the solid may be
performed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to thoroughly analyze the composition of a solid it is
conventional to sequentially remove outer layers and to analyze the
newly exposed layers to varying depths. One technique for removal
of successive layers to predetermined depths involves ion
bombardment and sputtering of the surface atoms to form a crater in
the surface of the solid. That technique is especially desirable in
that it simplifies the analysis, since both the removal and
analysis may be done simultaneously in a single operation wherein
the newly exposed atoms are analyzed by conventional
techniques.
One technique for achieving removal and analysis in a single
operation involves secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). That
technique sputters atoms from the sample and mass analyzes the
sputtered ions formed during the sputtering process. Another
technique for simultaneous removal and analysis involves ion
scattering spectroscopy (ISS) such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat.
Nos. 3,480,774, issued to Smith on Nov. 25, 1969, 3,665,182, issued
to Goff and Smith on May 23, 1972 and 3,665,185, issued to Goff on
May 23, 1972, in which such sputtering action is not an essential
aspect for analysis purposes. In that technique, the energy of
scattered primary ions is determined in order to infer the mass of
the surface atoms from which the primary ions scattered, as opposed
to SIMS where the sputtered ions are analyzed. The sputtering known
to occur as the result of the primary ion beam bombardment has been
used to advantage in order to enable depth profile analysis by the
ISS technique.
In both methods, the accuracy of the depth profile analysis is
limited by the simultaneous detection of atoms on both the walls
and at the bottom of craters produced as the result of sputtering.
Accordingly, data is received simultaneously from the walls and
bottom of the crater and reduces the distinctions between various
layers and interfaces, hence restricting the accuracy of the
technique in the study of composite thin films and like layered
structures. Since most ion beams have an approximately gaussian
distribution of current density across the diameter of the beam,
the problem of cratering is further accentuated.
One technique for reducing the "crater" effect utilized in the ion
beam surface mass analyzer (ISMA) produced by Commonwealth
Scientific Corporation, 500 Pendleton Street, Alexandria, Va., (see
their Bulletin 70-73, dated Aug., 1973) involves mechanically
aperturing the central 15 percent of the primary ion beam directed
onto the sample. Only those secondary sputtered ions originating
from a 4 mm center of an exposed 6 mm sample area are allowed to
enter the mass spectrometer. Such a technique requires precise
mechanical alignment and restricts the area of the sample which can
be analyzed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an improved technique for
compositional depth profile analysis, which technique is equally
applicable to both SIMS and ISS methods. The method of the present
invention accordingly comprises the steps of
providing a target support for supporting in a predetermined
location a sample at least a portion of which is to be depth
profile analyzed,
producing a beam of primary ions,
directing said primary ions along a beam axis toward the
sample,
moving the primary ion beam with respect to said sample to cause
the beam to traverse and to impinge on a predetermined region of
said surface whereupon atoms on the surface within said region are
sputtered from the surface,
transmitting ions indicative of such surface atoms within said
region as have a given mass,
receiving the transmitted ions and converting the received ions
into an electronic signal, and
sensing the position of the primary ion beam and enabling the
production of the electronic signal when the beam is within a
smaller portion of the predetermined region to produce a signal
associated with only such surface atoms as have said given mass and
are located within said smaller portion.
In one embodiment, the method is directed to secondary ion mass
spectroscopy, in which ions sputtered from the predetermined region
of the surface of the sample are directly mass analyzed in order to
transmit only such sputtered ions as have a given mass. In another
embodiment, the method is directed to ion scattering spectroscopy
in which the beam of primary ions is controlled to have a known
mass and substantially the same known kinetic energy, such that
transmitted scattered ions may be caused to have a second known
kinetic energy value less than the original kinetic energy of the
primary beam. The mass of the surface atoms off which the primary
beam ions scattered may be inferred from the second known energy
value.
The apparatus of the present invention preferably includes members
for moving the primary ion beam in at least two directions such
that the predetermined region is defined by an area scanned by the
primary beam. In such an apparatus the electronic signal is
preferably gated when the beam is within a smaller portion of the
scanned area.
The present invention thus eliminates the "crater" effect referred
to hereinabove by first forming a crater extending over the
dimensions of the scanned area, and secondly by passing only such
electronic signals identifying surface compositions as are produced
when the primary ion beam is within a smaller portion of the
scanned area, such as at the bottom of the crater.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The apparatus of the present invention will be more fully
understood upon reading the following detailed description which
refers to the accompanying drawing wherein the FIGURE is a
schematic diagram illustrating a structure of the apparatus
constructed in accordance with the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The FIGURE is substantially that set forth as FIG. 2 in U.S. Pat.
No. 3,665,182, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by
reference.
In the drawing there is shown a compact elemental analyzing
apparatus comprising a multipositionable target support 60, an ion
generating means 26, beam deflection members 110, analyzer 45, an
ion detector 70, enabling means 140, pulse height analyzer 142 and
indicating apparatus 80.
In operation, the apparatus described above, with the exception of
enabling means 140, pulse height analyzer 142 and indicating
apparatus 80, is located within a vacuum chamber (not shown), a
vacuum pump evacuates the chamber to a pressure of less than about
10.sup..sup.-8 Torr. A getter and a cryopanel are positioned within
the chamber to further purify the active elements remaining in the
chamber. The pumping is discontinued and noble gas is released into
the chamber. The noble gas atmosphere within the chamber is
utilized to analyze the elements forming the solid surface of the
sample. The noble gas used herein may be any noble gas, however,
Helium (He), Neon (Ne) and Argon (Ar) are commonly used. Insulated
electrical feed throughs or connectors provide the necessary
electrical connections between the components within the chamber
and the electrical apparatus located outside of the chamber.
The multipositionable target support 60 includes a rotatably
octagonal target wheel 61 and wheel advancement means including
tooth ratchet wheel 63 to sequentially advance the target wheel
through an increment each time the solenoid is activated. On each
planar spaced peripheral surface or face 66 of the octagonal wheel
may be placed a sample which is to be elementally analyzed. The
sample is held on each face by any suitable temporary fastening
such as screw or spring fasteners. It should be apparent that the
target wheel may be constructed with a different number of faces,
e.g., hexagonal, and the ratchet wheel may have a different number
of teeth numerically corresponding to the number of faces on the
target wheel. The target support includes a sliding contact arm
insulated from suitable supporting members and engageable with
indents to electrically connect the wheel 61 and the sample being
bombarded with a current measuring device 81 for monitoring the
level of ion beam current. The solenoid 64, which is a standard
vacuum solenoid, is electrically connected to a target selector
power supply 82 which is indpendently actuated for advancing and
positioning successive samples into the predetermined target
location. Any variety of similar multiple sample supports may
likewise be provided.
The ion generating means preferentially comprises a grounded
tubular housing 25, essentially 2 .times. 3 .times. 4 inches (5.1
.times. 7.6 .times. 10 cm) adapted to support the operative
components of the ion generator. The ion generator structure,
essentially 1 .times. 1 .times. 3 inches (2.5 .times. 2.5 .times.
7.6 cm) includes a heated filament 27 for producing electrons, a
highly transparent grid 28 having greater than 80 percent open area
and defining within extractor plate 31, an ionization region 29, a
repeller 30 encircling the filament 27, a first 33, second 35,
third 37, and fourth 39, anode plates, and a feed-back
stabilization loop 41.
A filament power supply 84 powers the filament to produce electrons
and a grid power supply 83 biases the grid with respect to the
filament. The produced electrons from the filament are accelerated
by the grid 28 to a potential sufficient to ionize the noble gas
atoms. For example, the electrons would have from 100 to 125
electron volts of energy, which is sufficient to ionize helium,
which has an ionization potential of about 24 electron volts. The
repeller 30 is at filament potential and repels or deflects any
approaching electrons to result in a long electron path which
increases the probability of the electrons striking an atom of the
gas to ionize the gas atom.
If the static pressure of the noble gas within the evacuable
chamber is increased, then the ion beam current is increased.
Therefore, by regulating the electron current at a constant gas
pressure the ion beam current is regulated. The feed-back
stabilization loop 41 maintains a stable electron grid current
which controls the ion beam current throughout pressure changes
within the evacuable chamber.
An ion gun voltage divider network 85 biases the extractor plate 31
to a potential to extract positive ions from the ionization region
29. The network 85 includes a number of resistors to selectively
bias the extractor plate 31 and the anode plates 33, 35 and 37,
except the fourth anode plate 39 which is grounded.
The extractor plate 31 includes an extractor aperture 32 of about
one-quarter inch (0.6 centimeters), located about the beam axis 42,
to extract the positive ions. The ions are then focused and
apertured by the anode plates, forming a primary ion beam. Each
anode plate has a potential applied thereto from the network 85.
The first anode plate 33 is primarily used to control, modulate and
initially focus the extracted ions into a collimated beam. The
second anode plate 35, which is spaced from the first plate 33 a
distance greater than the spacing between the other plates, is the
primary beam collimating and focusing anode. The third anode plate
37 is run at a substantially fixed potential from the voltage
divider network 85 and the fourth plate 39 is at ground potential,
or could be connected to one side of a high voltage power supply 86
and biased with respect to ground. The anode plates are each formed
with a small aperture and are constructed of very thin conductive
material to control the ion flow and to maintain a monoenergetic
beam. The plates are, for example, 0.010 inch (0.25 mm) thick to
minimize the wall surface defining the apertures for minimizing of
the interaction of the passed ions with the wall surface and loss
of energy in the ions passing therethrough.
The beam passing out of the tubular housing 25 is now directed
through the noble gas atmosphere towards the sample to be analyzed.
Under normal conditions, beam perturbing collisions do not cause
serious deviations in analysis.
Two pair of deflector plates 57 and 114, positioned near the end of
the housing 25 and on opposite sides of the beam axis serve to
deflect the beam to scan the beam about a predetermined area of the
sample. The plates 57 are charged by an ion deflector power supply
87, while the plates 114 are charged by a similar ion deflector
power supply 116.
The power supplies 87 and 116 include time base sweep generators
118 and 120 respectively, such as Tektronix, Inc. Model 2B67, which
may be used with the Tektronix, Inc. Model RM561A scope, and
amplifiers 122 and 124. Such supplies are capable of delivering
.+-. 140 V sawtooth waveforms, and when used to charge one-half
inch (1.27 cm) long by one-eighth inch (0.32 cm) wide deflection
plates positioned at the exit aperture of the housing 25 are
sufficient to deflect a 3500 eV Ne.sup.20 ion beam approximately 3
mm in the horizontal direction and approximately 4.5 mm in the
vertical direction at the specimen surface. Other deflection
circuits providing either sawtooth, triangular or like waveshapes
may similarly be employed. It is preferred that the outputs of the
supplies 87 and 116 be ungrounded, hence providing equal positive
and negative outputs to drive each plate of a given pair of
deflection plates such that the beam axis is maintained at
substantially ground potential. It is further preferred to provide
a DC bias via bias supplies 126 and 128 on the output of each
supply to facilitate positioning of the scanned beam on the sample
surface. In one test, the primary beam diameter was about 1 mm, and
the beam was scanned over a predetermined area approximately 3
.times. 4.5 mm. It is, of course, readily apparent that the number
of lines and the size of the scanned area are readily controlled by
varying the deflection voltage and repetition rates, the size of
the deflection plates, and the energy of the primary ion beam.
Signals from the sweep generators 118 and 120 are also coupled via
leads 130 and 132 to an enabling unit shown generally as 140, which
provides an enabling signal when the primary ion beam is positioned
within the predetermined area. The enabling signal is coupled to a
pulse height analyzer 142, such as Ortec, Inc., Oak Ridge,
Tennessee, Model 486, in order to trigger the passage of signals
representative of a given mass on the sample surface to the
indicating apparatus 80.
The deflected ion beam strikes or bombards the sample on the sample
surface about the predetermined area, thereby sputtering atoms from
the surface and scattering at least some of the impinging primary
ions from the surface atoms. The current to the sample by the
impinging beam is measured by the current measuring device 81 and
such measured current is used to determine the approximate current
density striking the surface of the sample.
The energy analyzer 45 comprises an entrance diaphragm 46, having a
rectangular entrance slit 47, an exit diaphragm 49, having a
rectangular exit slit 50, and two curved electrostatic analyzer
plates 48. The entrance diaphragm 46 and exit diaphragm 49 may be
charged by a diaphragm biasing power supply 88. The diaphragms may
be separately or simultaneously grounded or biased to similar or
different positive potentials. The slits in the diaphragms have a
preferred width of 0.005 inches (0.125 mm) and the entrance
diaphragm is spaced about one centimeter from the surface of the
sample being analyzed.
The analyzer plates 48 are charged by the output from an analyzer
plate sweeping power supply 90 receiving power from a dual power
supply 89. The analyzer plate sweeping power supply 90 permits a
suitable charge to be applied to the plates to direct ions having a
predetermined mass and energy through the slit in the exit
diaphragm. The analyzer plates 48 have a mean radius of 2 inches
(5.1 cm). The illustrated analyzer 45 is a standard 127.degree.
energy analyzer.
The scattered ions are thus received from the sample by the energy
analyzer and the ions having a predetermined energy value are
passed therethrough. The number of ions being passed are detected
and converted into electrons by the ion detector 70, to be received
by the electron collector 68. The electron collector 68 converts
the collected electrons into an electronic signal.
The ion detector 70, within the enclosure 69, is a continuous
channel electron multiplier 71, powered by a high voltage power
supply 99, having an 8 millimeter diameter cone entrance which
encompasses the entire exit slit in the exit diaphragm of the
127.degree. energy analyzer. The electron multiplier may be a
commercially available device such as Model No. CEM-4028
manufactured by Galileo Electro-Optics Corporation, Galileo Park,
Sturbridge, Mass. 01581.
In the present invention, the electronic signal is preferably
coupled through the pulse height analyzer 142 to produce an output
signal only when the signal from the analyzer exceeds a given
intensity, thereby improving the signal to noise rejection ratio.
The analyzer further acts as a controllable switch in that the
production of an output signal is further controlled by the
presence of the enabling signal from the enabling unit 140.
It is intended to be within the scope of the present invention to
selectively gate, i.e., to interrupt the production of the
electronic signal indicative of a given mass in a variety of ways.
Thus, while in the above embodiment an enabling signal is coupled
to the pulse height analyzer 142, it is within the scope of the
present invention to controllably interrupt the production of the
electronic signal in a number of other ways. For example, an
electronically controlled shutter or grid may be provided adjacent
the input or output slits of the analyzer 45. Similarly, the power
to the analyzer plates 48 and to the electron detector 70 may be
electrically controlled in response to an enable signal.
In a preferred embodiment, the unit 140 comprises a pair of
comparator units 144 and 146, each of which is coupled via one of
the leads 130 or 132 to a corresponding sweep generator 118 or 120.
Limit adjust signals for "x" and "y" axis are provided by networks
148 and 150 respectively, such that when a segment of a signal from
one of the sweep generators is within the voltage limits provided
by the networks 148 or 150, an output signal is produced. Thus an
output signal from one of the comparator units 144 and 146 would
indicate only that the position of the primary ion beam is
somewhere within that portion of the scanned area as is defined by
lower limits on a single coordinate. When an output signal is
produced from both comparator units 144 and 146, the signals are
then summed and coupled to the analog gate 152 to produce, as the
enable signal referred to hereinabove, a DC pulse suitable for
triggering conventional electronic switches.
Each of the comparator units 144 and 146 preferably include a first
operational amplifier such as an integrated circuit type 741
connected in the voltage follower mode, with an input to the
operational amplifier coupled through a variable resistor to the
output from the sweep generators, to provide a high impedance input
for the signals from the sweep generators. The limit networks 148
and 150 each preferably include two similarly connected type 741
operational amplifiers, the inputs of which are coupled through
variable resistances to sources of DC potential to provide
controllable voltage levels which may be set to establish the lower
and upper limits respectively. The outputs of the operational
amplifier coupled to the sweep generator is then compared with the
output of each of the other type 741 operational amplifiers of the
limit networks by additional operational amplifiers, such as
National Semiconductor, Inc., Santa Clara, Calif., Model LM211's
connected in a comparator mode. For example, when the amplitude of
the signal from the x axis sweep generator is greater than the
lower limit set by one of the type 741 operational amplifiers in
the x axis limit network 148, a first comparator within the
comparator unit 144 will produce an output signal. Similarly, when
the amplitude of the signal from the x axis sweep generator is less
than the upper limit set by the other type 741 operational
amplifier in the x axis limit network 148, a second comparator
within the comparator unit 144 will produce a similar output
signal. The y axis comparator 146 and y axis limit networks 150 are
similarly operable. The outputs of both comparators 144 and 146 are
then summed and coupled to the analog gate circuit 152 to control
the production of an enable signal. The gate circuit 152
conveniently utilizes an integrated circuit gate such as Siliconix,
Inc., Santa Clara, Calif., Model DG175.
In another embodiment, the enable signal is conveniently derived
from circuits which sense the onset of each deflection cycle for
both the x and y axis deflection of the primary ion beam, and which
produce an output signal during a predetermined interval of time
following each such onset. These output signals are then summed as
in the above embodiment to control the production of an enable
signal.
In one test of the above described improved depth profiling
procedure, the lower and upper limits were set to activate the
electronic signal during only the center one-fourth of a horizontal
scan and the center one-half of a vertical scan. Thus when a 3500
eV Ne.sup.20 primary ion beam was scanned across a uniform gold
target and a signal representing the ions scattered from the gold
surface was displayed on a display device synchronized with the
scanning of the primary beam, a uniformly illuminated portion of
the display device corresponding to the scanned area, within the
limits of the acceptance area of the spectrometer entrance slit,
was observed. When the signal was then gated in the manner set
forth hereinabove, the illuminated portion of the display was
rectangular, being approximately one-half as large in the vertical
direction and one-fourth as large in the horizontal direction as
that initially scanned.
In another test, a 500 Angstrom thick film of copper evaporated on
a glass slide was bombarded with a stationary 2,000 eV Ne.sup.20
beam. The resultant scattered ions were energy analyzed to detect
copper atoms by conventional ion scattering techniques and the
resultant output signal was plotted as a function of time. Such a
plot is representative of the thickness of the film, inasmuch as
the repeated bombardment and sputtering causes successive portions
of the film to become exposed. Another portion of the film was then
bombarded with a x-y deflected 2,000 eV Ne.sup. 20 beam and the
resultant electronic signal was gated in the manner set forth
hereinabove. A similar plot of the analyzed signal as a function of
time, normalized in time to the test with the stationary beam,
indicated that the presence of copper atoms fell away sharply as
the entire thickness of the film was sputtered from the glass,
whereas with the stationary beam, the presence of copper atoms
decreased much more gradually and appeared to asymptotically
approach zero intensity. This indicated that the edges of the
crater were sputtered away at a lower rate due to the lower
intensity at the periphery of the beam diameter, thus illustrating
that the signal is coming from different depths. For example, it is
often desired to study the migration of atoms between adjacent
layers of multilayered structures in which adjacent layers may have
gross differences in electrical conductivity. The present invention
makes possible such a study to a degree heretofore not
obtainable.
The present invention is especially suited to improving the
usefulness of SIMS in the study of layered films. It is well known
that the sputtered ion yield is strongly dependent on the presence
of active gases such as oxygen. Accordingly, in SIMS analyses of
films, the detection of underlying layers is complicated, inasmuch
as sputtered atoms from such newly exposed layers are often
difficult to detect. This can cause the preponderance of the signal
to result from the edges of craters produced upon sputtering, due
to the prevalence of active gases at the original surface, such as
are present due to absorbed O.sub.2 or H.sub.2 O vapors. The
present invention overcomes such limitations in that the signal
from the edges is rejected, thereby facilitating the correct
interpretation of the signal as corresponding to atoms emanating
from the center of the craters.
It should be appreciated that when the present invention is
utilized with SIMS apparatus, a method of mass analyzing the
sputtered surface atoms is employed. Accordingly, the energy
analyzer 45 is then replaced by a conventional mass analyzer
positioned to accept ions formed of the sputtered atoms. The output
of such mass analyzers is detected by a similar ion detector 70 and
the output signal therefrom is coupled to a signal processing
network and indicating apparatus similar to the pulse height
analyzer 142 and apparatus 80. An enabling signal from the enabling
unit 140 controls the production of the output signal in like
manner as that set forth hereinabove.
Having described the present invention with reference to a
preferred embodiment, it is appreciated that changes may be made
without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as
defined in the claims.
* * * * *