EAG Application Solutions for Thin Film Analysis

Thin film analysis is a broad analytical category that includes a range of scenarios, which impact technique choice:

• Film thickness can range from a few angstroms up to tens of microns.
• Measurement sensitivity varies from technique to technique, from the at% range down to parts-per-billion.
• The analytical area could be unlimited or restricted to submicron dimensions.

You can analyze films in one of two ways: from the top down or as cross-sections. Top-down analysis provides roughness, morphology, and surface composition information. Subsequent sputtering can uncover additional information, such as thickness, composition, and contaminant levels. Cross-section analyses reveal thickness, grain size, or crystallinity. You can also obtain extra thickness and density measurements with X-ray Reflectively (XRR).

Analytical Resolution versus Detection Limit

This bubble chart shows detection range versus analytical spot size, along with technique options based on these factors.

No single technique will tell you everything about a film, so prioritizing the information you need and comparing it to what you already know about the expected structure can help determine which technique to use. Almost all of the available techniques within Evans Analytical Group® (EAG) contribute in some way towards thin film analysis. It really depends on the requirements and restrictions mentioned above as to which particular technique is best.

Application Notes