Study of interdiffused layers in the surface and interfaces of multilayers by total-reflection soft-X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy

Imazono, Takashi; Yanagihara, Mihiro*

Photon Factory News, 22(3), p.18 - 22, 2004/11

Using soft-X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy with photon incidence at a critical angle of total reflection, it was made clear that SiO existed within a depth of a few nanometers from the surface of Fe/Si multilayers. It was generated by oxidation of the interdiffused FeSi layer nearest to the topmost Fe layer. Consequently, the FeSi layer was found to decrease in thickness. This result suggests that the total-reflection soft-X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy is fairly useful to analyze the chemical state of elements to a depth of a few nanometers from the surface.