Characterization of ultra smooth interfaces in Mo/Si-multilayers

Prototypes of Ni-C multilayers (up to 40 periods of typically 5 nm thickness) have been prepared by laser pulse vapour deposition (LPVD) and analyzed by a variety of methods. The work showed near normal X-ray reflectivities of typically 5 %; an interface roughness ranging from smaller than 1 A (determined by image processing of TEM micrographs) to 5 A (determined by simulation of X-ray diffraction); a compensation for the roughness component that is caused by the substrate surface and impurity concentrations smaller than 1 at.-% in layers and in interfacial regions. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and image processing have been successfully used for the investigation of the interfacial regions, whereas depth profiling methods that involve sputtering (SNMS and AES) can not provide resolution below 10 A.