title: Lift-off protocols for thin films for use in EXAFS experiments.
abstract: Lift-off protocols for thin films for improved extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements are presented. Using wet chemical etching of the substrate or the interlayer between the thin film and the substrate, stand-alone high-quality micrometer-thin films are obtained. Protocols for the single-crystalline semiconductors GeSi, InGaAs, InGaP, InP and GaAs, the amorphous semiconductors GaAs, GeSi and InP and the dielectric materials SiO2 and Si3N4 are presented. The removal of the substrate and the ability to stack the thin films yield benefits for EXAFS experiments in transmission as well as in fluorescence mode. Several cases are presented where this improved sample preparation procedure results in higher-quality EXAFS data compared with conventional sample preparation methods. This lift-off procedure can also be advantageous for other experimental techniques (e.g. small-angle X-ray scattering) that benefit from removing undesired contributions from the substrate.
authors.affiliation: Instituut voor Kern- en Stralingsfysica, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D, Leuven, Belgium. stefan.decoster@fys.kuleuven.be
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Decoster
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Glover
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Johannessen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giulian
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Sprouster
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kluth
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Araujo
authors.forename: Z S
authors.initials: ZS
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schnohr
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Salama
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kremer
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Temst
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vantomme
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ridgway
mesh_terms: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000073718:Pancreatitis-Associated Proteins; D012666:Semiconductors; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D000073718:Pancreatitis-Associated Proteins; C000612141:REG3A protein, human
keywords: EXAFS; dielectric; lift-off; semiconductor; thin film