Abstract
The composition of sputter-deposited HgS films was determined by electron microprobe analysis. From the relative x-ray intensity as a function of film thickness, the depth of the ionizations that produce SKαand HgMα was found to be approximately 0.65μm at an accelerating voltage of 15 kV. This value agreed well with a value calculated from Castaings' empirical law after absorption correction. The determination of film composition was limited to sufficiently thicker films than this critical value, usually 1-2 μm thick. The relation between the composition of bulk standard determined by chemical analysis and the x-ray intensity ratio was used for the correction of film composition. The results showed that the crystal structure of HgS films was independent of the composition, i.e., the growth of metastable β-HgS films was not caused by the nonstoichiometry, and that the composition of α-HgS films was not always stoichiometric, and it depended upon rf power density.
