A study of the effect of the fabrication process on diffusion in a layered thin film

A diffusion layer that is likely to be formed at the interfaces of the multi-layered thin film would affect its overall mechanical properties; the thinner the thin film, the more significant would be the effect. We measure the distribution of atoms and estimate the thickness of the diffusion layer at the vicinity of the interfaces among thin films of Al and SiO2 and silicon wafer with the aid of Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). The effect of heat treatment after fabrication of the thin films on the diffusion is also investigated.