Thin-film characterization techniques using reflection and diffraction of x-ray and synchrotron radiation

Abstract

Analysis techniques using x-ray diffraction and scattering have been widely employed as fundamental tools for the characterization of various materials and devices. The recent progress of measuring equipment and analysis software makes it possible to readily obtain experimental data and analysis results. It is, however, imperative to understand the principles underlying the measurement to confirm the reliability of the obtained results. In this article, therefore, I describe the measuring principles of x-ray reflectivity measurement and grazing-incidence x-ray diffraction, which are typical measurement methods using the total reflection phenomena of x-rays. Furthermore, some experimental results obtained using synchrotron radiation are reported.