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Composition and Structure of Sputter Deposited Erbium Hydride thin Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

D.P. Adams
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratories, P.O.Box 5800, Albuquerque, NM, 87185
J.A. Romero
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratories, P.O.Box 5800, Albuquerque, NM, 87185
M.A. Rodriguez
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratories, P.O.Box 5800, Albuquerque, NM, 87185
J.A. Floro
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratories, P.O.Box 5800, Albuquerque, NM, 87185
J.C. Banks
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratories, P.O.Box 5800, Albuquerque, NM, 87185
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Abstract

Erbium hydride thin films are grown onto polished, a-axis α Al2O3 (sapphire) substrates by reactive ion beam sputtering and analyzed to determine composition, phase and microstructure. Erbium is sputtered while maintaining a H2 partial pressure of 1.4 ×10−4 Torr. Growth is conducted at several substrate temperatures between 30 and 500°C. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) and elastic recoil detection analyses after deposition show that the H/Er areal density ratio is approximately 3:1 for growth temperatures of 30, 150 and 275°C, while for growth above ∼430 °C, the ratio of hydrogen to metal is closer to 2:1. However, x-ray diffraction shows that all films have a cubic metal sublattice structure corresponding to that of ErH2. RBS and Auger electron spectroscopy confirm that sputtered erbium hydride thin films are relatively free of impurities.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2000

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