Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies of thin glass films prepared by laser evaporation

Abstract

Multicomponent glass and laser-evaporated thin films prepared from the glass were studied by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The composition of the glass and the film as determined through RBS suggested that the films were deficient in oxygen. Furthermore, an increase in the reduced states of vanadium ions in going from the glass to the film was detected from the shift in the binding energy of the core level peak of V 2p and the development of a component peak in the V L 3M 23V Auger spectra. The reduction of vanadium could have possibly occurred because of the loss of oxygen during evaporation and thus would support the RBS results.