Interfacial phenomena in these O2-annealed multi-layer systems were studied by means of Auger electron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Emphasis was placed upon microstructural analysis of the interfaces. It was suggested that the marked tendency of Ti to diffuse into Pt was responsible for the formation of an isolated Pt layer when samples were annealed in O2 for 4h at 450C or above. The formation of a TiO2 phase was confirmed for annealing temperatures of 600C or more. Transmission electron microscopic analysis of samples which had been annealed at 650C confirmed the presence of a Pt-containing layer that was sandwiched between TiO2 layers. It was strongly recommended that rapid thermal annealing should be used to suppress undesirable interdiffusion and the resultant chemical reactions.

S.T.Kim, C.Y.Kim, K.H.Park, K.Y.Kim, J.S.Lee, Y.W.Jeong, H.J.Kwon: Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, 1995, 34[I-9A], 4945-9