Dresden 2026 – scientific programme

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O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik

O 30: Metal & Semiconductor substrates: Structure, epitaxy and growth – Poster

O 30.3: Poster

Monday, March 9, 2026, 18:00–20:00, P2

Quantitative sputter depth profiling: LEIS measurements and SDTrimSP simulations on silicon oxide — •Julian Pichler, Camil Bocaniciu, Alper Tunga Celebi, and Markus Valtiner — Technische Universität Wien, Wiedner Hauptstr. 8-10, Vienna, 1040, Austria

Precise surface characterization is crucial in semiconductor devices, to guarantee highest quality and optimal device fabrication.

This involves identifying defects, accurate handling of layers and surface contaminations, as well as determining elemental concentrations. This study focuses on a combined interpretation of Low Energy Ion Scattering Spectroscopy (LEIS) measurements on silicon oxide by quantification with references and Monte Carlo simulations with the SDTrimSP code [1]. We calculate surface erosion rates from simulations to deduce layer thicknesses in target materials, under consideration of atomic intermixing effects induced by sputtering.

For silicon oxide on pure silicon we find good quantitative agreement in sputtering depth profiles between LEIS measurements and SDTrimSP simulations for oxide layer thicknesses around 2 nm. We provide an estimation of layer thicknesses within a few Ångstrom and demonstrate intermixing at the interface induced by sputtering.

References [1] Mutzke et al., SDTrimSP Version 6.00, IPP report (2019)

Keywords: Monte Carlo simulations; Low energy ion scattering spectroscopy; oxide layer characterization; SDTrimSP