ION-SCATTERING FOR IN-SITU CHARACTERIZATION OF COMPOSITION OF LA2-XSRXCUO4 FILMS

Ion scattering techniques in the 5-50 keV range have the potential to yield quantitative information on the composition of high-temperature superconductor (HTc) films. To demonstrate this we have designed and b uilt an ion scattering spectrometer, compact enough for in situ use, a s an analytical tool for Vacuum deposition processes. Data collected f rom La2-xSrxCuO4 films demonstrate the excellent mass resolution avail able using heavy incident ions. Modeling of the data has been carried out using both a simple empirical method and a full Monte Carlo code. In addition to stoichiometric information, the contribution of light r ecoiled elements to the spectrum is determined. The estimated composit ion, based on these models is compared with the composition obtained u sing high energy Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RES) to verif y the quantitative capabilities of the technique. (C) 1996 American In stitute of Physics.