Assessing boron quantification and depth profiling of different boride materials using ion beams
Eduardo Pitthan, Marcos V. Moro, Silma Alberton Corrêa, Daniel Primetzhofer
Abstract
We assessed the capability to quantify and depth profile boron in different materials by a number of ion beam-based techniques. Specifically, the depth resolution, probing depth, film homogeneity, and detection limit for boron using particle-particle nuclear reaction analysis (resonant and non-resonant mode), elastic backscattering spectrometry, and time-of-flight elastic recoil detection analysis using heavy primary ions were evaluated. Samples consisted of high and low-Z materials implanted by 11B+ at different energies and fluences, Au/BN structures as well as bulk boride targets. Advantages and limitations for the individual techniques for the different sample types are discussed. As an example, while ToF-ERDA allows to efficiently depth profile 10B and 11B individually, limitations in probing depth and depth resolution, as well as quantification are apparent in particular for target materials containing high-Z species. While EBS presents large probing depth (~14 μm), the best detection limit (~0.1 × 1015/cm2) is obtained from resonant-NRA.