Nanometer sized layered structures

Nanometer-size layered structures with characteristic dimensions in the nm range have found wide interest both in research and applications. Important nanometer sized layered structures are multilayer (ML) mirrors applied as optical elements in the soft X-ray spectral region. The basic demands on the MLs preparation techniques are tight control of deposition process, sharp and smooth boundaries between layers. When the layers in a ML stack are very thin, the interfaces dominate the ML properties. In general low mutual solubility and/or immiscibility of material combinations are preferred to avoid the interface mixing. The interface (geometrical) roughness is the result of the growth process itself. It is affected also by the substrate (underlying layer) roughness, which is replicated to some extent. Low interface roughness and replication are needed to maximize the specular reflectivity and imaging contrast. In this work the ML interface analysis by grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering GISAXS and X-ray reflectivity techniques XRR are used to analyze the Mo/Si multilayers prepared by various deposition methods. (authors)