Characterization of oxide films with GD-OES and comparative techniques

Full text: This work focuses on the accuracy of compositional depth profiling of oxide films with GD-OES. The quantification of the oxygen content is discussed. One remaining problem is the limited supply of reference materials for calibration. Another important aspect for thin films is the influence of hydrogen on the oxygen emission intensity, which must be corrected for accurate results. The estimate of the oxide density is discussed, since this determines the accuracy of the sputtered depth. Examples of analytical results using GD-OES are shown and compared with results using comparative analytical techniques, such as SEM and optical microscopy. (author)