On defects' role in enhanced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in Pt/Co/Pt, induced by ion irradiation.

Modifications of magnetic and magneto-optical properties of Pt/Co(d Co )/Pt upon Ar+ irradiation (with energy 1.2, 5 and 30 keV) and fluence, F at the range from 2 · 1013-2 · 1016 Ar+ cm-2) were studied. Two 'branches' of increased perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and enhanced magneto-optical response are found on 2D (d Co , F) diagrams. The difference in F between 'branches' is driven by ion energy. Structural features correlated with magnetic properties have been analysed thoroughly by x-ray diffraction, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and positron annihilation spectroscopy. Experimental results are in agreement with TRIDYN numerical calculations of irradiation-induced layers intermixing. Our work discusses particularly structural factors related to crystal lattice defects and strain, created and modified by irradiation, co-responsible for the increase in the PMA.

Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry in the helium ion microscope.

A helium ion microscope, known for high resolution imaging and modification with helium or neon ions, has been equipped with a time-of-flight spectrometer for compositional analysis. Here we report on its design, implementation and show first results of this powerful add-on. Our design considerations were based on the results of detailed ion collision cascade simulations that focus on the physically achievable resolution for various detection limits. Different secondary ion extraction geometries and spectrometer types are considered and compared with respect to the demands and limitations of the microscope. As a result the development and evaluation of a secondary ion extraction optics and time-of-flight spectrometer that allows the parallel measurement of all secondary ion masses is reported. First experimental results demonstrate an excellent mass resolution as well as high-resolution secondary ion imaging capabilities with sub-8 nm lateral resolution. The combination of high resolution secondary electron images and mass-separated sputtered ion distributions have a high potential to answer open questions in microbiology, cell biology, earth sciences and materials research.

Effect of Ge Content on the Formation of Ge Nanoclusters in Magnetron-Sputtered GeZrOx-Based Structures.

Ge-rich ZrO2 films, fabricated by confocal RF magnetron sputtering of pure Ge and ZrO2 targets in Ar plasma, were studied by multi-angle laser ellipsometry, Raman scattering, Auger electron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction for varied deposition conditions and annealing treatments. It was found that as-deposited films are homogeneous for all Ge contents, thermal treatment stimulated a phase separation and a formation of crystalline Ge and ZrO2. The "start point" of this process is in the range of 640-700 °C depending on the Ge content. The higher the Ge content, the lower is the temperature necessary for phase separation, nucleation of Ge nanoclusters, and crystallization. Along with this, the crystallization temperature of the tetragonal ZrO2 exceeds that of the Ge phase, which results in the formation of Ge crystallites in an amorphous ZrO2 matrix. The mechanism of phase separation is discussed in detail.

Photoemission spectroscopy study of the lanthanum lutetium oxide/silicon interface.

Rare earth oxides are promising candidates for future integration into nano-electronics. A key property of these oxides is their ability to form silicates in order to replace the interfacial layer in Si-based complementary metal-oxide field effect transistors. In this work a detailed study of lanthanum lutetium oxide based gate stacks is presented. Special attention is given to the silicate formation at temperatures typical for CMOS processing. The experimental analysis is based on hard x-ray photoemission spectroscopy complemented by standard laboratory experiments as Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Homogenously distributed La silicate and Lu silicate at the Si interface are proven to form already during gate oxide deposition. During the thermal treatment Si atoms diffuse through the oxide layer towards the TiN metal gate. This mechanism is identified to be promoted via Lu-O bonds, whereby the diffusion of La was found to be less important.