Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-lj6df Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T01:31:16.205Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The dependence of the nanostructure of magnetron sputtered Cu–Ag alloy films on composition and temperature

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2011

K. Pagh Almtoft ,
A.M. Ejsing ,
J. Bøttiger ,
J. Chevallier ,
N. Schell  and
R.M.S. Martins
K. Pagh Almtoft
Affiliation:
Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Aarhus, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
A.M. Ejsing
Affiliation:
Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Aarhus, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
J. Bøttiger*
Affiliation:
Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Aarhus, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
J. Chevallier
Affiliation:
Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Aarhus, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
N. Schell
Affiliation:
Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Forschungszentrum Rossendorf, D-01314 Dresden, Germany
R.M.S. Martins
Affiliation:
Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Forschungszentrum Rossendorf, D-01314 Dresden, Germany
*
a) Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Cu–Ag alloy films prepared by magnetron cosputtering were characterized by using x-ray diffraction. A two-phase nanocrystalline structure of Cu grains supersaturated with Ag and Ag grains saturated with Cu was always observed. When alloying Ag with Cu or Cu with Ag, the grain sizes decreased dramatically, and the supersaturation increased with the amount of the alloying element. On annealing, the grain sizes of the Cu–Ag films increased and the solubilities decreased. To shed light on the mechanisms in play during the phase formation and subsequent phase changes, additional in situ real-time measurements were carried out using a high-intensity x-ray beam from the synchrotron at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble, France. Based on the experimental findings, the phase formation and the subsequent changes during annealing are discussed.

Keywords

NanostructureSputteringX-ray diffraction (XRD)
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 22 , Issue 4 , April 2007 , pp. 1018 - 1023
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1Uenishi, K., Kobayashi, K.F., Ishihara, K.N., and Shingu, P.H.: Formation of super-saturated solid solutions in the Ag-Cu system by mechanical alloying. Mater. Sci. Eng., A 134, 1342 (1991).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2Kazakos, A.M., Fahnline, D.E., Messier, R., and Pilione, L.J.: Compositional dependence of grain size in silver copper alloys prepared by direct current magnetron sputtering. J. Vac. Sci. Technol., A 10, 3445 (1992).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3Greer, A.L., Karpe, N., and Bøttiger, J.: Diffusional aspects of solid state amorphization reaction. J. Alloys Compd. 194, 199 (1993).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4Dirks, A.G., van den Broek, J.J., and Wierenga, P.E.: Mechanical properties of thin alloy films: Ultramicrohardness and internal stress. J. Appl. Phys. 55, 4248 (1984).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5Dirks, A.G. and van den Broek, J.J.: Adhesion, internal stress, microstructure and resistivity of thin alloy films of aluminum, copper and silver. Thin Solid Films 96, 257 (1982).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6Matz, W., Schell, N., Neumann, W., Bøttiger, J., and Chevallier, J.: A two magnetron sputter deposition chamber for in situ observation of thin film growth by synchrotron radiation scattering. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 72, 3344 (2001).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7Michaelsen, C.: On the structure and homogeneity of solid solutions: The limits of conventional x-ray diffraction. Philos. Mag. 72, 813 (1995).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8Najafabi, R., Srolovitz, D., Ma, E., and Atzmon, M.: Thermodynamic properties of metastable Ag-Cu alloys. J. Appl. Phys. 74, 3144 (1993).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9Kazakos, A.M., Fahnline, D.E., Messier, R., and Pilione, L.J.: Compositional dependence of stress in silver copper alloys prepared by direct current magnetron sputtering. J. Vac. Sci. Technol., A 10, 3439 (1992).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10Herr, U. and Samwer, K.: On the influence of temperature and enthalpy of mixing during the mechanical alloying of metals, in Solid–Solid Phase Transformations edited by Johnson, W.C., Howe, J.W., Laughlin, D.E. and Soffa, W.A. (The Materials Research Society, Warrendale, PA, 1994), p. 1039.Google Scholar
11Barna, P.B., Adamik, M., Lábár, J., Köver, L., Tóth, J., Dévényi, A., and Manaila, R.: Formation of polycrystalline and microcrystalline composite thin films by codeposition and surface chemical reaction. Surf. Coat. Technol. 125, 147 (2000).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12Huang, T.C., Lim, G., Parmigiani, F., and Kay, E.: Effect of ion bombardment during deposition on the x-ray microstructure of thin silver films. J. Vac. Sci. Technol., A 3, 2161 (1985).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13Porter, D.A. and Easterling, K.E.: Phase Transformations in Metals and Alloys 2nd ed. (Chapman & Hall, New York, 1992) Chap. 5, pp. 308–314.CrossRefGoogle Scholar