Combined SIMS and AFM study of complex structures of streamers on metallic multilayers

The discharge between a platinum electrode and different metallic monolayers on a silicon substrate produced sub-micrometric structures. The scanning electron microscope images showed the formation of craters with cones, holes, corona, and other exotic structures. The atomic force microscopy images allowed evaluating the depth and height of these complex structures together with the chemical information as determined by NanoSIMS imaging. The plasma impacts locally removed the mono-layer and the bilayer down to the bare silicon substrate. In order to convert the acquired NanoSIMS images into a true three-dimensional distribution of the analyzed species, the SIMS images are overlapped with the corresponding atomic force microscopy images of the same probed area. This analysis method allows a visualization of a complex 3D structure and helps understand the formation mechanisms of the streamer impact. Copyright (c) 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.