An X-ray diffraction study of interface roughness and diffusion in Ag/Pd superlattices

The influence of thermal annealing on the surface and interface roughness o f epitaxial Ag/Pd superlattices has been quantitatively characterized by hi gh-angle X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. Although Ag and Pd form a continuous series of solid solutions, it is shown that thermal annea ling of the layered structure does not lead to complete interdiffusion, but rather to a clustering of the individual components. The bulk phase diagra m of materials is clearly not the only factor determining the structural pr operties of thin layers in superlattices. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. Al l rights reserved.