Grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering of BN-Fe and BN-Ag nanocomposite films obtained by cosputtering and multilayer deposition techniques

We have elaborated BN-Fe and BN-Ag nanocomposite films by ion-beam sputtering codeposition and multilayer deposition. Grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering experiments have been performed to study the nanostructure of the films as a function of the deposition conditions and of the metallic species. The results show that the multilayer method generates a self-organized growth from plane to plane and a small polydispersity. The cosputtering technique displays a more random arrangement of nanoparticles but has the advantage of leading to a columnar growth when assisting the deposition with a nitrogen ion beam. Furthermore, the presence of two families of nanoparticles (small elongated clusters within the matrix and large particles on the surface) has been evidenced in the case of codeposition of BN and Ag under assistance.