Scanning photoemission spectromicroscopic study of 4-nm ultrathin SiO(3.4) protrusions probe-induced on the native SiO(2) layer.
Atomic force microscopy probe-induced large-area ultrathin SiO(x) (x ≡ O/Si content ratio and x > 2) protrusions only a few nanometers high on a SiO(2) layer were characterized by scanning photoemission microscopy (SPEM) and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). SPEM images of the large-area ultrathin SiO(x) protrusions directly showed the surface chemical distribution and chemical state specifications. The peak intensity ratios of the XPS spectra of the large-area ultrathin SiO(x) protrusions provided the elemental quantification of the Si 2p core levels and Si oxidation states (such as the Si(4+), Si(3+), Si(2+), and Si(1+) species). The O/Si content ratio (x) was evidently determined by the height of the large-area ultrathin SiO(x) protrusions.
Department of Physics, National Dong Hwa University, Hualien 97401, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Rupesh S
RS
Devan
Shun-Yu
SY
Gao
Yu-Rong
YR
Lin
Shun-Rong
SR
Cheng
Chia-Er
CE
Hsu
Chia-Hao
CH
Chen
Hung-Wei
HW
Shiu
Yung
Y
Liou
Yuan-Ron
YR
Ma
D055664:Electrochemical Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D008422:Materials Testing; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D036103:Nanotechnology; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D056951:Photoelectron Spectroscopy; D012666:Semiconductors; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature
D012822:Silicon Dioxide