Boron and Phosphorus Quantification in Sol-Gel BPSG Glasses by XPS

Abstract

Monolithic borophosphosilicate glasses (BPSG) were prepared by the sol-gel route through xerogel densification. Tetramethoxysilane (Si(OCH3)4), trimethylborate (B(OCH3)3), and trimethylphosphite (P(OCH3)3) were used as source compounds for Si, B, and P, respectively. After gel drying, samples underwent thermal treatment up to 700 °C, resulting in transparent and crack-free monolithic glasses. In this work, x-ray photoelectron spectra of a representative glass specimen are presented and discussed. Beside the wide scan spectrum, a detailed analysis of Si 2p, O ls, P 2p, B 1s + P 2s is performed. Moreover, a quantification procedure aimed at resolving problems arising from the overlap between B 1s and P 2s photopeaks in oxide-based systems is proposed.