GRAZING-INCIDENCE X-RAY REFLECTOMETRY STUDIES OF CDTE(111) SURFACES AND A-SI THIN-FILMS

Chemically treated cadmium telluride (CdTe) surfaces and amorphous sil icon (a-Si) thin films were characterized by X-ray reflectometry at gr azing incidence. In the case of the surface of CdTe single crystal tre ated with an oxidizing agent (a solution of Br-2 in CH3OH), the superf icial layer was found to be less dense than its support with a profoun d alteration of CdTe in the volume. After rinsing in KOH solution, the properties of single-crystalline CdTe are obtained. In the case of a- Si thin layers, we show that the simulation of the reflectometry curve s enables not only the determination of the layer thickness but also t he detection of an ultrathin superficial oxide layer. (C) 1998 Elsevie r Science B.V. All rights reserved.