Multiple scattering effects in strain and composition analysis of nanoislands by grazing incidence x rays

Experiments and numerical simulations based on finite element modeling show that the x-ray intensity scattered by comparatively large nanostructures on a substrate is not simply related to their strain in experiments using either grazing incidence or exit because of multiple scattering effects. However, whatever the nanostructure size, the composition profiles are correctly extracted from grazing incidence multiwavelength anomalous scattering. These effects are illustrated for the structural analysis of Ge dome-shaped islands grown on Si(001).