SIMS Analysis Methodology to Determine Sc Diffusion in Silicon Oxide

the Scandium (Sc) diffusion in silicon oxide (SiO
₂
) from ScAlN thin film was investigated using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) instead of using the X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) techniques. Sc, Al, and Si elements depth profiles were performed from sample front side and back side. Al and Sc performance at ScAlN/SiO
₂
interface and in SiO
₂
layer was compared for two conditions, annealed and non-annealed. To obtain precise test result, an effective sample preparation was implemented, which will be discussed in the paper.