Systematic compositional analysis of sputter-deposited boron-containing thin films

Abstract

Boron-containing materials exhibit a unique combination of ceramic and metallic properties that are sensitively dependent on their given chemical bonding and elemental compositions. However, determining the composition, let alone bonding, with sufficient accuracy is cumbersome with respect to boron, being a light element that bonds in various coordinations. Here, we report on the comprehensive compositional analysis of transition-metal diboride (TMBx) thin films (TM = Ti, Zr, and Hf) by energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), time-of-flight elastic recoil detection analysis (ToF-ERDA), Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), and nuclear reaction analysis (NRA). The films are grown on Si and C substrates by dc magnetron sputtering from stoichiometric TMB2 targets and have hexagonal AlB2-type columnar structures. EDX considerably overestimates B/TM ratios, x, compared to the other techniques, particularly for ZrBx. The B concentrations obtained by XPS strongly depend on the energy of Ar+ ions used for removing surface oxides and contaminants prior to analyses and are more reliable for 0.5 keV Ar+. ToF-ERDA, RBS, and NRA yield consistent compositions in TiBx. They also prove TiBx and ZrBx films to be homogeneous with comparable B/TM ratios for each film. However, ToF-ERDA, employing a 36-MeV 127I8+ beam, exhibits challenges in depth resolution and quantification of HfBx due to plural and multiple scattering and associated energy loss straggling effects. Compared to ToF-ERDA, RBS (for the film grown on C substrates) and NRA provide more reliable B/Hf ratios. Overall, a combination of methods is recommended for accurately pinpointing the compositions of borides that contain heavy transition metals.