THERMOANALYTICAL METHODS IN THE STUDY OF INORGANIC THIN-FILMS

Thermoanalytical (TA) methods are relatively seldom applied for assessing the physical and chemical properties of thin films, but they can be used in studies of composition, phase transitions and film-substrate interactions. In the present paper the possibilities of TA methods in thin film studies are reviewed. The thermoanalytical methods considered are the classical TG and DTA/DSC methods but some complementary methods will also be briefly mentioned. The main emphasis is given to true thin films. Details of sample preparation are also given. An important application of TA methods is characterization of precursors for the CVD growth of thin films, and this is also discussed.