AR-ION INFLUENCE ON SI-2P AND O-1S ATOMIC LINES - AN XPS STUDY( AND HE+)

Quantitative XPS analysis was used to examine the modification in a th in silica surface of its stoichiometry by the determination of nO/nSi atomic ratios after Ar+-ion and He+-ion bombardment under the fixed co nditions of 1 keV energy and 1.5 x 10(16) ions cm(-2) fluence for Ar+- ions; and 3 keV and 1 x 10(17) ions cm(-2) fluence for He+-ions. The q ualitative information, under the above conditions, shows that there i s an evidence of the line width (or FWHM) stability. This effect is fr om conservation of chemical environment around the silicon atoms, resu lting from the summation weighted over different local atomic environm ents. In addition, after this examination, the surface is annealed at 500 degrees C for 1 h in a way that a silica surface can be restored e ventually. This operation shows that the previous surface is not distu rbed under ion-beam treatment and thus the silica surface remains unda maged. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.