Transition metal (thin-film)/Si (substrate) contacts: buried interface study by soft X-ray emission spectroscopy

A soft X-ray emission spectroscopy (SXES) study under an energetic electron irradiation has been applied to a nondestructive buried interface analysis of a Mn (thin-film)/Si(substrate) contact system, where the energy of primary electrons, Ep, is varied below 20 keV. An interesting point of this method is that we can have a specific signal for the element to be used as a fingerprint. By using this e-beam excited SXES, we can study an interface buried deep in a rather thick overlayer. The Mn (thin-film)/Si (100) specimen without heat treatment is concluded to have any additional phase except for Mn and Si at the interface region within the limit of the present experiment. The specimen heat treated at 350°C for 3 min is clarified to have layered structure of Mn/MnSi/MnSi1.7/Si (100) form the top to the substrate.