Compositional Analysis of Nanotechnology Structures with Scanning Auger Microscopy

W. Betz, J. S. Hammond, D. F. Paul

Physical Electronics USA, 18725 Lake Drive East, Chanhassen, MN. 55317 USA

Recent advances in electron optics have improved the performance of many field emission electron microscopy techniques to visualize nanotechnology products.  The analyst is now faced with the challenge to provide elemental and chemical information for these nanophase materials.  In addition, compositional analysis is becoming more important for many new basic research programs in nanotechnology.

The Scanning Auger Nanoprobe is a powerful compositional analysis technique for these nanophases.  The Auger spectra are measured from a sampling depth less than 5 nm.  When coupled with an incident electron beam as small as 6 nm in diameter and a system designed for long term stability, quantitative elemental information with spatial resolution better than 10 nm can be acquired.  For many materials, chemical information can also be obtained with chemometric analysis of the Auger spectra.  By alternating low impact voltage ion beam sputtering and Auger analyses, compositional depth profiles for multilayer structures up to 1 micron in depth can be obtained.

The unique system design of the Scanning Auger Nanoprobe will first be discussed.  Examples will then be shown for nanotechnology structures, including nanowires and nanocones, where the Scanning Auger Nanoprobe can uniquely define the composition of nanophase structures and defects.