Fitting of RBS data including roughness: Application to Co/Re multilayers

In this work automated fitting of Rutherford backscattering (RBS) data including the effect of roughness is performed, by calculating the effect of roughness on the apparent energy resolution as a function of depth. This depends on the exact type of roughness, and three different models have been implemented: inhomogeneous layer thickness, corrugated sample, and rough substrate surface. Full automated fitting can be performed including one, or more, of the models, with the roughness parameters (e.g. standard deviation of the thickness of any number of lacers), as well as the sample structure, as fitting parameters. The code is applied to the system substrate/Re 50 Angstrom/(Co 20 Angstrom/Re 5 Angstrom)(16), which had been studied before by other methods. The results are excellent, providing a new tool for RBS data analysis. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.