Quantum Oscillations and Beats in X-Ray Diffraction during Film Growth

Y.-R. Lee, A. Gray, J. Tischler, P. Czoschke, H. Hong, S.-L. Chang, and T.-C. Chiang
Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 156103 – Published 12 October 2007

Abstract

X-ray diffraction from a growing film at an anti-Bragg point should exhibit bilayer oscillations caused by interference. In an experiment of TiN film growth by laser ablation onto sapphire, an unexpected beating envelope function is found to modulate the oscillations. The successive nodes and antinodes are identified with the development of new growth domains separated by one atomic layer in thickness. This effect allows atomic layer counting of the film thickness distribution. The results imply that the growth is not characterized by a continuum stochastic process, as usually assumed.

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  • Received 12 May 2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.156103

©2007 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Y.-R. Lee1,2,3, A. Gray1,2, J. Tischler4, P. Czoschke5, H. Hong1, S.-L. Chang3, and T.-C. Chiang1,2,*

  • 1Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1110 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801-3080, USA
  • 2Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 104 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, Illinois, 61801-2902, USA
  • 3National Tsing Hua University, 101, Section 2, Kuang Fu Road, Hsinchu, Taiwan 30013, Republic of China
  • 4Division of Materials Science and Technology, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
  • 5Seagate Technology, 7801 Computer Avenue South, Bloomington, Minnesota 55435-5412, USA

  • *To whom correspondence should be addressed. Chiang@mrl.uiuc.edu

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Issue

Vol. 99, Iss. 15 — 12 October 2007

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