Sc/Si multilayers are one of the promising material combinations commonly used in the spectral range of 35-50 nm. However, diffusion and silicidation at the interfaces of Sc/Si multilayers limit widespread applications of this material combination. To improve the properties of Sc/Si multilayers, the scheme of barrier layers is utilized. In this work, a series of Sc/Si multilayers with boron carbide and carbon barrier layers were designed and fabricated to compare the properties including interface quality and thermal stability. The effect on the multilayer structure and quality before and after annealing were investigated by using grazing-incidence X-ray reflection, X-ray diffraction, rocking-curve X-ray diffuse scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and selected area electron diffraction. The results indicate that severe interdiffusion and crystallization occur in the multilayer with a carbon barrier after annealing. However, a boron carbide barrier layer improves thermal stability up to 550 °C since the interfaces remain abrupt and clear after annealing. The multilayer quality is confirmed to be improved significantly.
Keywords: deposition; diffusion barriers; interface; soft X-ray; thermal annealing.