RBS ANALYSIS OF LANGMUIR-BLODGETT-FILMS

Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) has been used to characte rize thin films of yttrium and erbium arachidate deposited on a silico n substrate by a Langmuir-Blodgett technique. RBS can measure film thi ckness as well as the stoichiometry. Beam effects do not influence the se results at moderate beam currents and fluences, although the film's visual appearance was very sensitive to beam exposure. Beam-induced h ydrogen desorption is also expected, and evidence for this is presente d at high doses. RBS has also been used to characterize LB films durin g thermal decomposition and to analyze the metal-oxide end products (Y 2O3 and Er2O3 films). An example is also given where a mixed YBaCu-oxi de film is deposited by this method.