PIXE in Determination of Argon Impurity in Ion Beam Sputter-Deposited Co–Cr Films

• Published in: Japanese Journal of Applied Physics Vol. 28; no. 3R; pp. 545 - 548
• Main Authors: Shoji, Fumiya, Taniguchi, Hideki, Kusumoto, Osamu, Oura, Kenjiro, Hanawa, Teruo, Suzuki, Yoshihiko, Ogawa, Soichi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01-03-1989
• ISSN: 0021-4922; 1347-4065
• DOI: 10.1143/JJAP.28.545

Co–Cr films prepared by the method of argon ion beam sputtering are analyzed by the proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) technique. The PIXE spectra show a clear peak of Ar Kα X-ray, indicating the existence of impurities. The content of argon impurity is in the order of 10
2
ng, and the content is found to increase as the argon ion beam energy increases and the argon pressure decreases. The argon impurity is attributed to the scattering processes of argon ions at the Co–Cr alloy target surface.