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The interface region of friction-welded joints Al-Fe samples is investigated by scanning Auger Spectroscopy, Electron Probe Micro-analysis (EPMA), X-ray Photoelectron spectroscopy, and Photoemission Electron Microscopy, performed at the synchrotron light source (BESSY). We investigated polished samples cut to obtain a cross-section of the Al-Fe joints. At the Al-Fe interface there is a small number of Fe teeth protuding into the adjacent Al-matrix. Beside this mechanical interlock mechanism we identify an Fe-Al alloy which is formed in an almost homogeneous interface layer of approximately 80 micron thickness. We determine the valence band spectra within that layer and notice that the alloying formation is limited to the interface region. In addition, the profile of both, the Fe and O distribution within the Al next to that interface is determined. A model of the friction-welding mechanism is derived and discussed in terms of the ability of achieving low temperature Fe-Al joints.
Photoelectron spectroscopy utilizing synchrotron radiation of high energetic resolution (more than E/ΔE=3000) was used to record the Si2p emission signal of Si, SiC, SiGe, and SiGeC samples. The spectra exhibit signals of the elemental silicon as well as of fully oxidised silicon. Upon variing the photon energy, and therefore the escape depth of the photoelectrons, we find an oxidic silicon signal which is only half oxidized. This half oxidized silicon is located to be at the interface of the bulk material with the oxide. We determine the thickness of the surface oxide from the total ratio of oxidic and elemental silicon. We find differences between the interface and bulk oxides regarding their elemental composition. The line width of the elemental Si2p-signal exhibits a broadening of approximately 200meV while variing the photoelectron escape depth. This behaviour is interpreted as caused by surface stress.
To determine the depth structure of samples various destructive (SIMS, depth profiling with sputtering and AES or XPS) and non-destructive techniques (RBS - Rutherford-Back-Scattering) are available. But all methods are less suitable for investigating especially ultrathin (<5nm) layers: While the destructive techniques suffer from Ion-mixing the RBS can not deliver chemical information.
Due to the depth-dependent attenuation of photo-electrons XPS also contains depth information. As XPS gives only a sum signal across the layer one needs to modify the Inelastic Mean Free Path (IMFP) of the photo-electrons to vary the depth information in the photo-electron spectra. This can be done by changing the kinetic energy with the use of different excitation energies delivered from a Synchrotron.
Using this method we were able to investigate the chemical depth structure of silicon oxynitride layers. The layers were grown on Si(111) by a N2O-treatment. The depth profile of that layer shows a silicon nitride layer forming the interface between the silicon substrate and the oxynitride.
Si(001) surface oxidation
(2001)
A Si(001) surface is cleaned in UHV by heating (flashing) and is exposed to different pressures of N2O at altered temperatures. Oxynitride layers of different thicknesses and different properties are grown depending on the N2O-pressure and the Si- temperature. This is illustrated by a schematic diagram.
The properties of the different Oxynitride layers were studied by a combined PEEM- and PES-investigation using highly monochromatised synchrotron radiation. The amount of Oxygen and Nitrogen incorporated in the Oxynitride layers is determined from the PES measurements. The typical surface morphology for different preparation conditions is shown in PEEM images.
A model based on differently established dipole layers in the Oxynitride layers is proposed. This model is capable of interpreting the features appearing in the PE-spectra. This model can also be applied to the interface of Si/SiO2.
Oxynitride layers are grown on 4H-SiC(0001) by a thermal treatment in N2O. The nitrogen content is controlled by varying the growth conditions (N2O pressure and substrate temperature) and the nitrogen incorporation is found to be stronger for higher substrate temperatures and lower N2O pressures.
Excess carbon is generated due to SiC decomposition under such growth conditions (high temperature and low N2O pressure) which leads to unwanted high interface state density and has to be avoided. Our approach is to prepare a Si-rich or even Si-covered SiC surface by Si evaporation. Upon oxidation in N2O the additional silicon is expected to compensate the loss of silicon from the SiC while preparation.
The Si-rich SiC surface as well as the grown layers were investigated by photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for chemical analysis and by AFM/STM for analysis of the surface morphology. Concerning the chemical analysis we focus on the total nitrogen content, on the amount of silicon nitride Si3N4 and of silicon oxynitride SiOxNy, and on the existence of sub-oxides which build the interface between SiC and the oxynitride layers.
It will be reported on the growth of oxynitride thin layers (≤10nm) on (0001)-oriented 4H-SiC surfaces. The oxynitride layers were grown by a thermal treatment of the samples in low pressure N2O ambient. By varying the growth conditions (N2O pressure, sample temperature, growth time) different layers were made.
The grown layers were investigated by photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for chemical analysis and by AFM/STM for analysis of the surface morphology. Concerning the chemical analysis it will be discussed the general nitrogen content of the samples, the composition of the films (e.g. content of silicon nitride Si3N4 and silicon oxynitride SiOxNy) and the sub-oxides which build the interface between SiC and the oxynitride layers. Concerning the surface morphology mainly the roughness will be discussed.
The so obtained results for oxynitride thin films on 4H-SiC will be compared to similarly prepared oxynitride layers on Si(111) investigated in the past.
We introduce a recently developed novel polypyrrole-based coating, which can be formed on the aluminium surface from an aqueous pyrrole solution of fluorozirconic and fluorotitanic acid neutralised with zinc oxide. The composite layer consists of polypyrrole (Ppy) chemisorbed on titanium and zinc oxides and exhibits advanced corrosion resistance. For the investigation of the structure and the corrosion mechanism of the composite corrosion resistant layer we use a photo-electron emission microscope (PEEM). PEEM is especially suitable because it can deliver topographic contrast as well as elemental contrast and chemical information in connection with a variable X-ray source. Additionally, in order to investigate further the corrosion mechanism, but also the role of the alloy in the corrosion process, we examine the aluminium samples with SEM/EDX. The structure of the corrosion resistant layer was investigated before and after accelerated corrosion tests. Our results pointed out the important role of titanium oxide and zinc in the corrosion resistance of our Ppy coating on aluminium.
The quality of the SiO2/Si interface is of crucial importance in the development and performance of sub 0.1 small mu, Greekm technologies. The knowledge of the chemical composition of the interface is an important piece of information in the preparation of ultra-thin oxides and high-k dielectrics, in order to maintain a high-quality interface and channel mobility. Here we report on investigations of 2 nm oxide layers formed by a RTP process under various gas mixtures containing N2O and NH3 at different concentrations. We studied the SiO2/Si(001) interface by a non-destructive depth profiling using Synchrotron radiation photoelectron spectroscopy. We determine the thickness of the oxide layer, the relative content and chemical state of nitrogen within the oxide, the thickness of the interface layer, and the relative abundance of Si intermediate oxides within. In all systems we find the thickness of the intermediate layer to be approximately 0.17 nm. The intermediate layer contains Si atoms in the oxidation states +1, +2 and +3 with similar relative abundance. Nitrogen is found predominantly close to the intermediate layer forming Si---N as well as Si---N---O bonds. Within the oxide there are only spurious nitrogen content with predominately Si---N---O bonds. Our method is able to detect a nitrogen content within the intermediate layer as low as approximately 5%.
Aluminium is a material of everyday use in many applications,like automobile,aero-space or cookware,due to its specialproperties (low density,low weight,strength,easy to form and cast,abundance etc).Although aluminium is a reactive metal,italso has a significant corrosion resistance because of a thin,protective oxide layer which is generally stable in air and aqueous solutions.However,pores within the oxide film and other defects caused from alloying elements can lead to local corrosion and the formation of pits.
The surface condition of electrochemically H-terminated Si is compared with the situation at the first photocurrent maximum in dilute acidic ammonium fluoride solution where the divalent dissolution converts into the four-valence process. The first high spectral-resolution photoelectron spectroscopy data using synchrotron radiation of electrochemically hydrogenated Si are presented. A combined electrochemistry/ultrahigh vacuum surface analysis system, attached to the U 49/2 beamline at the synchrotron Bessy II, is used for photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) of the electrochemically conditioned samples. We analyze the Si 2p, O 1s, and F 1s core levels. A comparison of a density functional theory calculation of the reaction sequence, proposed in the dissolution model of Gerischer and co-workers, with the PES results supports this model. The anodized sample is characterized by a residual H coverage of 0.35 monolayers evidenced by a surface core level shift, Si-OH and Si-Fx species, F-, and a higher oxidized Si species. SiO2 is not found. Even on very well H-terminated surfaces, we find residual Si-OH complexes, fluoride and water. In situ atomic force microscopy shows a roughening with a root mean square roughness parameter of 2.6 nm. %A92003 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.
N2O-Oxidation of Si(100)
(2001)
The CO oxidation reaction on Iridium(111) surfaces shows bistability in a limited range of the CO fraction of the reactant gas flux Y and a wide range of temperatures T. The two branches are characterized by their reactivity for CO2 formation. The upper rate (high CO2 formation) rate is related to high oxygen coverage on the surface, the lower rate (little CO2 formation) to high CO coverage. Quadrupol mass spectroscopy and PEEM (photoelectron emission microscopy) was employed to study the influence of a noisy reactant gas flux composition on the spatio-temporal pattern development in the CO oxidation reaction on flat Ir(111) and stepped Ir(977) surfaces. PEEM shows nucleation and growth of few oxygen resp. CO islands at small noise amplitudes. Anisotropic diffusion of CO parallel and normal to the steps causes elliptic shapes of large islands. The long axes of the ellipses are aligned along the steps. At increased noise amplitudes the density of islands becomes larger. 2D modeling of the phenomena based on reaction-diffusion differential equations reproduces the experimental findings quite nicely.
Oxynitride on 4H-SiC (0001)
(2005)
It will be reported on the growth of oxynitride ultra-thin layers (<2 nm) on (0 0 0 1)-oriented 4H-SiC surfaces. The oxynitride layers were grown by a thermal treatment of the samples in low pressure (up to 1000 Pa) N2O ambient. By varying the growth conditions (N2O pressure, sample temperature, growth time) different layers were made. The highest nitrogen incorporation was found to be at high temperatures and low N2O pressures.The grown layers were investigated by photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for chemical analysis. Concerning the chemical analysis, the general nitrogen content of the samples is compared at different preparation conditions. The films are found to consist mainly of SiO2 and small fraction of silicon nitride. Only a tenth of the nitrogen was incorporated as oxynitride. The results obtained for oxynitride thin films on 4H-SiC are compared to similarly prepared oxynitride layers on Si(1 1 1) investigated in the past. Furthermore, an additional source of nitrogen due to dopand diffusion in the SiC single crystal is reported.
A spectro-microscopic approach to study the morphology and elemental distribution of mc-Si surfaces
(1999)
The initial stages of porous Si formation on Si(111) in dilute ammonium fluoride solution are analysed by photoelectron spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation (SRPES). The PES results in the por-Si formation regime partly support a recent dissolution model. The contribution from the Si 2p surface core level shift shows that 0.35 ML of the surface is still H-terminated after interruption of the conditioning process at the first photocurrent maximum. Two signals shifted in binding energy by 0.8 and 1 eV, respectively, are attributed to reaction intermediates expected from the proposed reaction mechanism and from theoretical calculations using density functional theory (DFT). A distinct roughening is found in in-situ AFM measurements, with a calculated RMS roughness parameter of 2.6 nm.
The oxide of Si(111) formed by electropolishing in dilute ammonium fluoride solution is analysed by photoelectron spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation. The oxidiclayer is about 3.1 nm thick and contains Si-F-x species as well as oxyfluorides. The oxyfluorides are found preferentially at the electropolishing layer surface. SiOHspecies are concentrated at the oxidic film/substrate interface. The full width half maximum of the Si 2p line indicates that the Si/electropolishing oxide interface issmoother than the Si/natural oxide interface.
We have studied the surface chemistry of 6H-SiC(0001) and 6H-SiC (000 (1) over bar) after wet-chemical treatment using photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) andlow-energy electron diffraction (LEED). The origin of chemically shifted components in the Si2p and C1s spectra is discussed in the light of previous studies onwet-chemically prepared surfaces and on silicate adlayer reconstructed surfaces. On 6H-SiC(0001) an ordered silicate adlayer was prepared by etching the surface withsulfuric acid based agents.