Determination of crystallization as a function of Mo layer thickness in Mo/Si multilayers

Mo/Si multilayer samples with different Mo layer thickness were deposited by electron beam evaporation, while Kr⁺ ions (300eV) were used for polishing the Si layers. Crystallization as a function of the Mo layer thickness deposited was investigated by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction, giving information on the crystalline phases, average size and crystallite formation. Comparison of these parameters for the samples examined provided novel results, especially regarding the in-plane and in-depth average sizes of the crystallites. The most important result is that crystallization takes place already when a 1nm thick Mo layer has been deposited. Moreover, the average in-plane size of the crystallites was found to be independent of the layer thickness, while the average in-depth size corresponded to the thickness of the Mo layer. Depositions consist of polished Si layers were found to give a larger amount of crystalline material compared to those consist of unpolished Si layers.