Network compaction and surface deformation in the hydrogenated silicon nitride film

Modifications in a hydrogenated silicon nitride film by soft x-ray/VUV (vacuum ultra violet) radiations are investigated using in situ soft x-ray reflectivity measurements at Indus-1 synchrotron source. The illumination experiments are performed at 10° grazing incidence angle at which the majority of incident radiation (belonging to 10 eV–250 eV) are restricted to ~8.0 nm depth, except near the Si-L absorption edge (100 eV) where changes. Resultantly, the film density has increased along with a change in surface morphology. Due to illuminations, hydrogen bonds responsible for voids and network deformation are more likely to break and pave the path for the formation of more compact Si3N4 network. Evolution of hydrogen changes the surface morphology significantly. Atomic force microscopy confirms the formation of nano clusters at the surface. The out diffusion of hydrogen near the surface is responsible for surface deformation.

Soft x-ray resonant reflectivity for determination of interlayer

Near the absorption edge, fine structure features of energy-dependent atomic scattering factor are sensitive to the composition, and can be exploited for determination of composition at the buried interfaces. This technique is demonstrated for a Mo–Si multilayer system using soft x-ray resonant reflectivity measurement

Smoothening of tungsten–carbon interfaces and change in interface asymmetry on heat treatment

interface modifications in tungsten carbon multilayer are analyzed by performing isochronal annealing experiments in the range of 200–800 -C. X-ray reflectivity data revealed that the roughnesses are increasing in the W/C multilayer on going from bottom to top layer. The two interfaces viz W-on-C and C-on-W show an asymmetric change in the roughness values. Transmission electron microscopy results indicate that the interfaces are morphologically smooth but are chemically diffused in nature. Roughnesses are smoothening out after annealing at 400 -C, which results in an increase in the multilayer reflectivity

Study of optical response near the absorption edge

Fine structure features of energy dependent atomic scattering factor near the atomic absorption edge, is used for characterization of low Z containing hard-condensed matter thin films. Near the atomic absorption edge, reflectivity