Sample preserving deep interface characterization technique

• We propose a nondestructive technique based on atomic core-level shifts to characterize the interface quality of thin film nanomaterials. Our method uses the inherent sensitivity of the atomic core-level binding energies to their local surroundings in order to probe the layer-resolved binary alloy composition profiles at deeply embedded interfaces. From an analysis based upon high energy x-ray photoemission spectroscopy and density functional theory of a Ni/Cu fcc (100) model system, we demonstrate that this technique is a sensitive tool to characterize the sharpness of a buried interface. We performed controlled interface tuning by gradually approaching the diffusion temperature of the multilayer, which lead to intermixing. We show that core-level spectroscopy directly reflects the changes in the electronic structure of the buried interfaces, which ultimately determines the functionality of the nanosized material. © 2006 The American Physical Society.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences (hsv//eng)

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

electron-emission microscopy

magnetic tunnel-junctions

multilayers

magnetoresistance

scattering

alloys

cu

NATURAL SCIENCES Physics

NATURVETENSKAP Fysik

TECHNOLOGY

TEKNIKVETENSKAP

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