The fabrication of stable platinum–silicon oxide multilayers for X-ray mirrors

An investigation has been carried out to determine the conditions required for the fabrication of stable SiO 2–Pt multilayers using DC-magnetron sputtering for the Pt and RF-magnetron sputtering for the SiO 2. As a preliminary investigation, single layers of Pt on SiO 2 were analysed by X-ray reflectivity (XRR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to develop a model of the Pt–SiO 2 interface layer. The results indicated that a distinct interface layer develops as a Pt silicate approximately 6 Å thick. SiO 2–Pt multilayers fabricated with a period d>65 Å using pure argon as the sputtering gas, display X-ray reflectivity patterns which can be accurately characterised by a repeating bilayer model. When d