Oxide-thickness determination by proton-induced x-ray fluorescence

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Abstract
A discussion of the principles of oxygen surface density and, hence, oxide‐thickness determination by proton‐induced x‐ray flurescence is followed by results of several applications of the technique. This technique has been shown to be useful for oxide thicknesses between ten and a few thousand Å. In practice, monoenergetic proton beams with energies between 100 and 400 keV produced characteristic x rays of all elements near the surface of aluminum, erbium dideuteride, copper, and stainless‐steel specimens; these x rays were detected with a high‐resolution Si(Li) detector. The oxygen Kα x‐ray yields (x rays/proton) for these specimens were calibrated using known oxygen surface densities and, hence, oxide thicknesses on aluminum.