Application of GISAXS in the investigation of three-dimensional lattices of nanostructures

Abstract

The application of the grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) technique for the investigation of three-dimensional lattices of nanostructures is demonstrated. A successful analysis of three-dimensionally ordered nanostructures requires applying a suitable model for the description of the nanostructure ordering. Otherwise, it is possible to get a good agreement between the experimental and the simulated data, but the parameters obtained by fitting may be completely incorrect. In this paper, we theoretically examine systems having different types of nanostructure ordering, and we show how the choice of the correct model for the description of ordering influences the analysis results. Several theoretical models are compared in order to show how to use GISAXS in the investigation of self-assembled arrays of nanoparticles, and also in arrays of nanostructures obtained by ion-beam treatment of thin films or surfaces. All models are supported by experimental data, and the possibilities and limitations of GISAXS for the determination of material structure are discussed.