Icems and dcems study of Fe layers evaporated onto Al and Si

Abstract

Thin layers of57Fe (2.5 nm, 10 nm and 70 nm thickness), vacuum evaporated onto Al and Si plates, have been investigated by conversion electron Mossbauer spectroscopy (CEMS). The measurements were performed employing both a proportional counter and a channeltron for conventional and ultrahigh-vacuum integral CEMS (UHV-ICEMS) studies, respectively, and a channeltron for depth-selective CEMS (DCEMS). The phase analysis of the layers on base of experimental results has indicated the presence of metallic iron and one or two iron compounds, ascribed to iron reaction products formed with the residual gas during evaporation. These products are most likely rather stable iron nitrides, are more or less clustered and are distributed throughout the whole layer.