Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T20:47:27.840Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Anomalous peaks in grazing incidence thin film X-ray diffraction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2013

Richard A. Vaia ,
Maura S. Weathers  and
William A. Bassett
Richard A. Vaia
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853
Maura S. Weathers
Affiliation:
Materials Science Center X-Ray Facility, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853
William A. Bassett
Affiliation:
Department of Geological Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Numerous spurious X-ray peaks were encountered during grazing incidence angle diffractometer scans of ceramic and polymeric thin films on crystalline and amorphous substrate materials. At least three possible sources of spurious peaks are identified. (1) At (2θ) values greater than ∼ 10°, Laue reflections from characteristic and Bremsstrahlung continuum radiation produce spurious peaks with a (2θ) dependence on X-ray incident angle and sample orientation. At (2θ) values less than 10°, (2) specular X-ray reflection from a boundary between two media of different indices of refraction and (3) diffuse surface scattering produces spurious peaks with a dependence on X-ray incident angle and sample surface topography. From an understanding of the spurious peaks, improved experimental techniques may be developed. Because these peaks can interfere significantly with grazing incidence diffractometer scans, it is particularly important to those making studies of thin films by this asymmetric diffraction geometry to be aware of the existence and origins of these spurious peaks.

Keywords

grazing-incident X-raydiffractionanomalousspuriousspecular reflectiondiffuse surface scatteringLaue
Type
Research Article
Information
Powder Diffraction , Volume 9 , Issue 1 , March 1994 , pp. 44 - 49
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1994

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Cullity, B. D. (1978). Elements of X-Ray Diffraction (Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA), pp. 199–217.Google Scholar
Giannelis, E. P., Mehrotra, V., Tse, O., Vaia, R. A., and Sung, T.-C. (1991). Intercalated Two-Dimensional Ceramic Nanocomposites. Synthesis and Processing of Ceramics: Scientific Issues, edited by Rhine, W. E. et al. (MRS, Pittsburgh, PA), pp. 547–558.Google Scholar
Goehner, R. P., and Eatough, M. O. (1992). “A Study of Grazing Incidence Configurations and Their Effect on X-Ray Diffraction Data,” Power Diffr. 7, 2–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huang, T. C., and Parrish, W. (1992). “Characterization of Single and Multilayer Films by X-Ray Reflectometry,” Adv. X-Ray Anal. 35, 137–142.Google Scholar
Keddie, J. L., Braun, P. V., and Giannelis, E. P. (1993). “Effects of Crystallization on the Densification Behavior of Sol-Gel Titanium Dioxide Thin Films,” submitted to J. Am. Cer. Soc.Google Scholar
Levine, J. R., Cohen, J. B., Chung, Y. W., and Georgopoulos, P. (1989). “Grazing Incidence Small Angle X-Ray Scattering: New Tool for Studying Thin Film Growth,” J. Appl. Cryst. 22, 528–532.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Russell, M. W., and Giannelis, E. P. (1991). Sol-gel Derived Aluminum Nitride Thin Films via Nitridation of Alumina. Synthesis and Processing of Ceramics: Scientific Issues, edited by Rhine, W., Shaw, T., Gottschall, R., and Chen, Y. (MRS, Pittsburgh, PA), pp. 207–212.Google Scholar
Russell, T. P. (1990). “X-Ray and Neutron Reflectivity for Investigation of Polymers,” Mat. Sci. Rep. 5, 171–271.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Takayama, T., and Matsumoto, Y. (1990). “Effects of Refraction and Reflection on Analysis of Thin Films by Grazing Incidence X-ray Diffraction Method,” Adv. X-Ray Anal. 33, 109–120.Google Scholar
Yoneda, Y. (1963). “Anomalous Surface Reflection of X-Rays,” Phys. Rev. 131, 2010.CrossRefGoogle Scholar