Structural Analysis of Thin Films using X-Ray Diffraction Techniques
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15662/IJEETR.2021.0301002Keywords:
Thin Film, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Grazing-Incidence XRD (GIXRD), High-Resolution XRD (HRXRD), Pole Figure Analysis, Rocking Curve, Line-Profile Analysis, Microstrain & Crystallite Size, Texture Coefficient, Reciprocal Space MappingAbstract
This paper reviews the structural analysis of thin films via X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) techniques, emphasizing methods developed before 2020. Thin films, utilized in electronics, optics, and coatings, pose unique analytical challenges due to their small volume and substrate interference. Advanced XRD techniques—including grazing-incidence XRD (GIXRD), high-resolution XRD (HRXRD), and reciprocal space mapping—enable characterization of phase, texture, strain, crystallite size, and defects with precision .
Quantitative approaches such as pole-figure construction using area detectors allow texture analysis in fiber-textured films . Line-profile analysis, utilizing methods like Williamson–Hall, Size–Strain plots, and Scherrer equations, enables extraction of crystallite size and microstrain data from broadened diffraction peaks . For instance, an XRD study on ZnGa₂S₄ thin films revealed that increasing film thickness reduces defect density and strain while increasing crystallinity .
Standard θ–2θ scans are complemented by rocking curve (ω-scan), grazing-incidence scans, and pole figures to help manage substrate influence and thin film orientation assessment. HRXRD in epitaxial systems enables precise quantification of lattice strain and composition via double-crystal diffractometers and rocking curves .
Thus, a combination of advanced scanning geometries, profile analysis, and modeling techniques (e.g., Rietveld and Le Bail refinements), underpins accurate structural investigations of thin films. This paper highlights methodological strengths, challenges, and applications across materials science disciplines.
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