Grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering applied to the characterization of aggregates in surface regions

Ion-beam sputtering deposition has been used to elaborate discontinuous gold and granular carbon-platinum thin films. The morphology of the deposited gold islands and buried platinum clusters so obtained has been studied by grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS). The full potentiality of this non-destructive technique at grazing incidence is obtained when it is coupled with a synchrotron radiation beam and two-dimensional detectors. The influence of argon ion-implantation performed during Au or C-Pt growth has been studied. A relevant information to understand and control the structural properties of such materials is then achieved. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.