X-RAY-DIFFRACTION CHARACTERIZATION OF TERNARY ARTIFICIAL SUPERLATTICES

Thin films of alternating Au, Ag, and Cu wedge-shaped metal layers wer e made by magnetron sputtering in order to develop a method for invest igation of a multicomponent systems. X-ray-diffraction patterns of all as-deposited samples revealed satellites in the vicinity of (111) ref lections, evidence of composition-modulated artificial superlattice fo rmation. The experimental spectra are well explained by the kinematica l diffraction theory for imperfect superlattices. Computer simulations have demonstrated extremely high sensitivity to the fluctuations DELT AH/H of the superlattice period H. As a result, a rapid and simple met hod of DELTAH/H determination is proposed.