EAG Application Solutions for Depth Profiling

Depth profiles basically show concentration with respect to depth; and they can be obtained by continuously monitoring specific species of interest with respect to depth, or in a stepwise manner by removing material, measuring, and then repeating the process. There are a number of analytical techniques that probe material properties, each with its own characteristic analysis depth, depth resolution, and sensitivity, ranging from single surface molecular and atomic layers to microns, millimeters or more below the surface, as well as from the % range to the PPB or lower range.

For example, you can use Secondary Ion Spectrometry (SIMS) to measure dopant implant or diffusion distributions below the original surface; look at how the boundaries between buried layers (or within a layered surface) have blurred due to inter-diffusion; or investigate whether an impurity has segregated at layer interfaces.

If not done properly, artifacts and errors can be introduced into depth profiles due to the complexity of the measurement. At Evans Analytical Group® (EAG), we have a thorough understanding of how to generate profiles without introducing artifacts, because we have been doing it for many years across a wide range of industries and sample types.

Another variation on this technique involves generating a slice or cross-section of a sample and analyzing the cross-section as a function of position along the surface

Primary Techniques

• Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES)
• Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS)
• X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS)

Secondary Techniques

• Raman Spectroscopy  
• Rutherford Backscattering (RBS)
• Time-of-Flight SIMS (TOF-SIMS)

Application Notes