Ellipsometric determination of optical constants for silicon and thermally grown silicon dioxide via a multi-sample, multi-wavelength, multi-angle investigation

Optical constant spectra for silicon and thermally grown silicon dioxide have been simultaneously determined using variable angle of incidence spectroscopic ellipsometry from 0.75 to 6.5 eV. Spectroscopic ellipsometric data sets acquired at multiple angles of incidence from seven samples with oxide thicknesses from 2 to 350 nm were analyzed using a self-contained multi-sample technique to obtain Kramers–Kronig consistent optical constant spectra. The investigation used a systematic approach utilizing optical models of increasing complexity in order to investigate the need for fitting the thermal SiO2 optical constants and including an interface layer between the silicon and SiO2 in modeling the data. A detailed study was made of parameter correlation effects involving the optical constants used for the interface layer. The resulting thermal silicon dioxide optical constants were shown to be independent of the precise substrate model used, and were found to be approximately 0.4% higher in index than published values for bulk glasseous SiO2. The resulting silicon optical constants are comparable to previous ellipsometric measurements in the regions of overlap, and are in agreement with long wavelength prism measurements and transmission measurements near the band gap

Characterization of porous low-k films using variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry

doi:10.1063/1.2189018Variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (VASE™) is used as a tool to characterize properties such as optical constant, thickness, refractive index depth profile, and pore volume fraction of single and bilayer porous low-k films. The porous films were prepared using sacrificial pore generator (porogen) approach. Two sets of porous films with open- and closed-pore geometries were measured. Three models were used for data analysis: Cauchy, Bruggeman effective medium approximation (BEMA), and graded layer. Cauchy, a well-known model for transparent films, was used to obtain thickness and optical constant, whereas BEMA was utilized to calculate the pore volume fraction from the ellipsometric data. The Cauchy or BEMA models were then modified as graded layers, resulting in a better fit and a better understanding of the porous film. The depth profile of the porous film implied a more porous layer at the substrate-film interface. We found 3%-4% more porosity at the interface compared with the bulk for both films. This work shows that VASE™, a nondestructive measurement tool, can be used to characterize single- and multigraded layer porous films quickly and effectively.The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support of Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC)

Optical properties of MgH2 measured in situ in a novel gas cell for ellipsometry/spectrophotometry

The dielectric properties of alpha-MgH2 are investigated in the photon energy range between 1 and 6.5 eV. For this purpose, a novel sample configuration and experimental setup are developed that allow both optical transmission and ellipsometric measurements of a transparent thin film in equilibrium with hydrogen. We show that alpha-MgH2 is a transparent, colour neutral insulator with a band gap of 5.6 +/- 0.1 eV. It has an intrinsic transparency of about 80% over the whole visible spectrum. The dielectric function found in this work confirms very recent band structure calculations using the GW approximation by Alford and Chou [J.A. Alford and M.Y. Chou (unpublished)]. As Pd is used as a cap layer we report also the optical properties of PdHx thin films.Comment: REVTeX4, 15 pages, 12 figures, 5 table

Solution-Based Structural Analysis of the Decaheme Cytochrome, MtrA, by Small-Angle X-ray Scattering and Analytical Ultracentrifugation

The potential exploitation of metal-reducing bacteria as a means for environmental cleanup or alternative fuel is an exciting prospect; however, the cellular processes that would allow for these applications need to be better understood. MtrA is a periplasmic decaheme c-type cytochrome from Shewanella oneidensis involved in the reduction of extracellular iron oxides and therefore is a critical element in Shewanella ability to engage in extracellular charge transfer. As a relatively small 333-residue protein, the heme content is surprisingly high. MtrA is believed to obtain electrons from the inner membrane-bound quinol oxidoreductase, CymA, and shuttle them across the outer membrane to MtrC, another decaheme cytochrome that directly interacts with insoluble metal oxides. How MtrA is able to perform this task is a question of interest. Here through the use of two solution-based techniques, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC), we present the first structural analysis of MtrA. Our results establish that between 0.5 and 4 mg/mL, MtrA exists as a monomeric protein that is shaped like an extended molecular “wire” with a maximum protein dimension (D[subscript max]) of 104 Å and a rod-like aspect ratio of 2.2 to 2.5. This study contributes to a greater understanding of how MtrA fulfills its role in the redox processes that must occur before electrons reach the outside of the cell.National Science Foundation (U.S.). (0546323)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant Number F32GM904862)Howard Hughes Medical Institute. InvestigatorNational Science Foundation (U.S.) (Award DMR- 0936384