Extension of Atomic Mixing, Surface Roughness and Information Depth Model for Auger Electron Spectroscopy Sputter-Depth Profile Using Tilted Cylindrical Mirror Analyzer

Abstract

An atomic mixing, surface roughness and information depth (MRI) model was extended to describe Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) sputter-depth profiles measured using a cylindrical mirror analyzer (CMA) tilted at oblique angle. The extension was performed by taking into account the effects of the dependence of the information depth of detected Auger electrons on the azimuthal angle of the entrance of the CMA. Al-LVV and Al-KLL depth profiles of a GaAs/AlAs superlattice material were analyzed using the extended MRI model. The present results revealed that the depth profiles calculated by the extended MRI model can be fitted to the experimental ones measured using the tilted CMA under the condition that the thickness of the mixing layer is smaller than the information depth. In contrast, the depth profiles calculated by the conventional MRI model can not trace the experimental ones. The present study confirmed that the extended MRI model is well worthy of application to the analysis of the AES depth profiles obtained using the tilted CMA with low-energy ions of less than a couple of hundreds eV, which is expected to reduce the thickness of the damaged layer.