Search Menu
DOE PAGES title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information
Search Scholarly Publications

Title: On the thermal stability of physical vapor deposited oxide-hardened nanocrystalline gold thin films

Abstract

We describe a correlation between electrical resistivity and grain size for PVD synthesized polycrystalline oxide-hardened metal-matrix thin films in oxide-dilute (<5 vol. % oxide phase) compositions. The correlation is based on the Mayadas-Shatzkes (M-S) electron scattering model, predictive of grain size evolution as a function of composition in the oxide-dilute regime for 2 μm thick Au-ZnO films. We describe a technique to investigate grain boundary (GB) mobility and the thermal stability of GBs based on in situelectrical resistivity measurements during annealing experiments, interpreted using a combination of the M-S model and the Michels et al. model describing solute drag stabilized grain growth kinetics. Using this technique, activation energy and pre-exponential Arrhenius parameter values of Ea = 21.6 kJ/mol and Ao = 2.3 × 10-17 m2/s for Au-1 vol. % ZnO and Ea =12.7 kJ/mol and Ao = 3.1 × 10-18 m2/s for Au-2 vol.% ZnO were determined. In the oxide-dilute regime, the grain size reduction of the Au matrix yielded a maximum hardness of 2.6 GPa for 5 vol. % ZnO. A combined model including percolation behavior and grain refinement is presented that accurately describes the composition dependent change in electrical resistivity throughout the entire composition range for Au-ZnO thinmore » films. As a result, the proposed correlations are supported by microstructural characterization using transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction mapping for grain size determination.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
OSTI Identifier:
1237469
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1228212
Report Number(s):
SAND-2015-1707J
Journal ID: ISSN 0021-8979; JAPIAU; 579736
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Applied Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 117; Journal Issue: 14; Journal ID: ISSN 0021-8979
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; electrical resistivity; metallic thin films; gold; zinc oxide films; hardness; thermal stability; nanocomposites; Au; ZnO; e-beam; grain size; Hall-Petch; electron scattering; Mayadas-Shatzkes; ODS; SEM; EBSD; TKD; TEM

Citation Formats

Argibay, Nicolas, Mogonye, J. E., Michael, Joseph R., Goeke, Ronald S., Kotula, Paul G., Scharf, T. W., Dugger, Michael Thomas, and Prasad, Somuri V. On the thermal stability of physical vapor deposited oxide-hardened nanocrystalline gold thin films. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4915922.
Copy to clipboard
Argibay, Nicolas, Mogonye, J. E., Michael, Joseph R., Goeke, Ronald S., Kotula, Paul G., Scharf, T. W., Dugger, Michael Thomas, & Prasad, Somuri V. On the thermal stability of physical vapor deposited oxide-hardened nanocrystalline gold thin films. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4915922
Copy to clipboard
Argibay, Nicolas, Mogonye, J. E., Michael, Joseph R., Goeke, Ronald S., Kotula, Paul G., Scharf, T. W., Dugger, Michael Thomas, and Prasad, Somuri V. Wed . "On the thermal stability of physical vapor deposited oxide-hardened nanocrystalline gold thin films". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4915922. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1237469.
Copy to clipboard
@article{osti_1237469,
title = {On the thermal stability of physical vapor deposited oxide-hardened nanocrystalline gold thin films},
author = {Argibay, Nicolas and Mogonye, J. E. and Michael, Joseph R. and Goeke, Ronald S. and Kotula, Paul G. and Scharf, T. W. and Dugger, Michael Thomas and Prasad, Somuri V.},
abstractNote = {We describe a correlation between electrical resistivity and grain size for PVD synthesized polycrystalline oxide-hardened metal-matrix thin films in oxide-dilute (<5 vol. % oxide phase) compositions. The correlation is based on the Mayadas-Shatzkes (M-S) electron scattering model, predictive of grain size evolution as a function of composition in the oxide-dilute regime for 2 μm thick Au-ZnO films. We describe a technique to investigate grain boundary (GB) mobility and the thermal stability of GBs based on in situelectrical resistivity measurements during annealing experiments, interpreted using a combination of the M-S model and the Michels et al. model describing solute drag stabilized grain growth kinetics. Using this technique, activation energy and pre-exponential Arrhenius parameter values of Ea = 21.6 kJ/mol and Ao = 2.3 × 10-17 m2/s for Au-1 vol. % ZnO and Ea =12.7 kJ/mol and Ao = 3.1 × 10-18 m2/s for Au-2 vol.% ZnO were determined. In the oxide-dilute regime, the grain size reduction of the Au matrix yielded a maximum hardness of 2.6 GPa for 5 vol. % ZnO. A combined model including percolation behavior and grain refinement is presented that accurately describes the composition dependent change in electrical resistivity throughout the entire composition range for Au-ZnO thin films. As a result, the proposed correlations are supported by microstructural characterization using transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction mapping for grain size determination.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4915922},
journal = {Journal of Applied Physics},
number = 14,
volume = 117,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Apr 08 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Wed Apr 08 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}
Copy to clipboard
Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4915922
Copyright Statement
Other availability
Search WorldCat Search WorldCat to find libraries that may hold this journal
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 7 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science
Save / Share:
Export Metadata
Save to My Library
You must Sign In or Create an Account in order to save documents to your library.

Works referenced in this record:

Tribological Properties of Gold for Electric Contacts
journal, March 1973

Commercial aspects of gold applications: From materials science to chemical science
journal, March 2004

  • Corti, Christopher W.; Holliday, Richard J.
  • Gold Bulletin, Vol. 37, Issue 1-2
  • DOI: 10.1007/BF03215513

Developing new industrial applications for gold: Gold nanotechnology
journal, December 2002

  • Corti, Christopher W.; Holliday, Richard J.; Thompson, David T.
  • Gold Bulletin, Vol. 35, Issue 4
  • DOI: 10.1007/BF03214852

Wear resistant electrically conductive Au–ZnO nanocomposite coatings synthesized by e-beam evaporation
journal, April 2013

The electrical and mechanical properties of Au–V and Au–V2O5 thin films for wear-resistant RF MEMS switches
journal, April 2008

  • Bannuru, Thirumalesh; Brown, Walter L.; Narksitipan, Suparut
  • Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 103, Issue 8
  • DOI: 10.1063/1.2902954

Contact physics of gold microcontacts for MEMS switches
journal, January 1999

  • Hyman, D.; Mehregany, M.
  • IEEE Transactions on Components and Packaging Technologies, Vol. 22, Issue 3
  • DOI: 10.1109/6144.796533

Electrical Contact Reliability in a Magnetic MEMS Switch
conference, October 2008

  • Vincent, M.; Chiesi, L.; Fourrier, J. -C.
  • 2008 IEEE Holm Conference on Electrical Contacts (Holm 2008), 2008 Proceedings of the 54th IEEE Holm Conference on Electrical Contacts
  • DOI: 10.1109/HOLM.2008.ECP.36

Electrical Contact Resistance Degradation of a Hot-Switched Simulated Metal MEMS Contact
journal, March 2007

  • Dickrell, Daniel J.; Dugger, Michael T.
  • IEEE Transactions on Components and Packaging Technologies, Vol. 30, Issue 1
  • DOI: 10.1109/TCAPT.2007.892074

Nanotribology and MEMS
journal, October 2007

Strengthening gold thin films with zirconia nanoparticles for MEMS electrical contacts
journal, May 2008

MEMS electrostatic micropower generator for low frequency operation
journal, September 2004

  • Mitcheson, P. D.; Miao, P.; Stark, B. H.
  • Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, Vol. 115, Issue 2-3
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.sna.2004.04.026

Materials issues in microelectromechanical devices: science, engineering, manufacturability and reliability
journal, November 2003

Wear behavior of Au–ZnO nanocomposite films for electrical contacts
journal, June 2014

Design of Stable Nanocrystalline Alloys
journal, August 2012

Thermodynamic stabilization of nanocrystalline binary alloys
journal, February 2013

  • Saber, Mostafa; Kotan, Hasan; Koch, Carl C.
  • Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 113, Issue 6
  • DOI: 10.1063/1.4791704

High temperature stabilization of nanocrystalline grain size: Thermodynamic versus kinetic strategies
journal, January 2013

  • Koch, Carl C.; Scattergood, Ronald O.; Saber, Mostafa
  • Journal of Materials Research, Vol. 28, Issue 13
  • DOI: 10.1557/jmr.2012.429

Retaining the Nano in Nanocrystalline Alloys
journal, August 2012

Rapid stress-driven grain coarsening in nanocrystalline Cu at ambient and cryogenic temperatures
journal, August 2005

  • Zhang, Kai; Weertman, J. R.; Eastman, J. A.
  • Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 87, Issue 6
  • DOI: 10.1063/1.2008377

Grain boundary diffusivity of Ni in Au thin films and the associated degradation in electrical contact resistance due to surface oxide film formation
journal, March 2013

  • Argibay, N.; Brumbach, M. T.; Dugger, M. T.
  • Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 113, Issue 11
  • DOI: 10.1063/1.4795768

Diffusion-related behaviour of gold in thin film systems
journal, June 1979

Failure mechanism models for material aging due to interdiffusion
journal, March 1994

  • Junhui Li, ; Dasgupta, A.
  • IEEE Transactions on Reliability, Vol. 43, Issue 1
  • DOI: 10.1109/24.285101

Electrochemically Deposited Diffusion Barriers
journal, January 1994

  • Paunovic, Milan
  • Journal of The Electrochemical Society, Vol. 141, Issue 7
  • DOI: 10.1149/1.2055015

Gold electrodeposition within the electronics industry
journal, March 1994

  • Christie, Ian R.; Cameron, Brian P.
  • Gold Bulletin, Vol. 27, Issue 1
  • DOI: 10.1007/BF03214728

On the Zener drag
journal, January 1985

Particle volume fraction dependence in Zener drag
journal, October 1993

Consideration of Zener drag effect by introducing a limiting radius for neighbourhood in grain growth simulation
journal, August 2002

Stability of binary nanocrystalline alloys against grain growth and phase separation
journal, April 2013

Electrical and tensile properties of Cu-ThO2, Au-ThO2, Pt-ThO2 and Au-Al2O3, Pt-Al2O3 alloys
journal, December 1970

  • Fuschillo, N.; Gimpl, M. L.
  • Journal of Materials Science, Vol. 5, Issue 12
  • DOI: 10.1007/BF02403281

Electrical resistivity of Au-ZnO nanocomposite films
journal, April 2013

  • Argibay, N.; Goeke, R. S.; Dugger, M. T.
  • Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 113, Issue 14
  • DOI: 10.1063/1.4800874

Electrical-Resistivity Model for Polycrystalline Films: the Case of Arbitrary Reflection at External Surfaces
journal, February 1970

Modelling the influence of grain-size-dependent solute drag on the kinetics of grain growth in nanocrystalline materials
journal, May 1999

Methods of Nanoindentation Testing
book, January 2002

Measurement of hardness and elastic modulus by instrumented indentation: Advances in understanding and refinements to methodology
journal, January 2004

Nanoindentation and contact stiffness measurement using force modulation with a capacitive load-displacement transducer
journal, May 1999

  • Asif, S. A. Syed; Wahl, K. J.; Colton, R. J.
  • Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 70, Issue 5
  • DOI: 10.1063/1.1149769

Indentation size effects in crystalline materials: A law for strain gradient plasticity
journal, March 1998

Modification of composite hardness models to incorporate indentation size effects in thin films
journal, April 2008

Effects of the substrate on the determination of thin film mechanical properties by nanoindentation
journal, January 2002

Automated Analysis of SEM X-Ray Spectral Images: A Powerful New Microanalysis Tool
journal, January 2003

  • Kotula, Paul G.; Keenan, Michael R.; Michael, Joseph R.
  • Microscopy and Microanalysis, Vol. 9, Issue 1
  • DOI: 10.1017/S1431927603030058

E-Beam Evaporated Glass and MgO Layers for Gas Panel Fabrication
journal, November 1978

  • Park, K. C.; Weitzman, E. J.
  • IBM Journal of Research and Development, Vol. 22, Issue 6
  • DOI: 10.1147/rd.226.0607

Ultrahigh Strength and High Electrical Conductivity in Copper
journal, April 2004

Electrical resistivity of copper, gold, palladium, and silver
journal, October 1979

  • Matula, R. A.
  • Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data, Vol. 8, Issue 4, p. 1147-1298
  • DOI: 10.1063/1.555614

The Electrical Resistivity of Gold Films
journal, March 1982

  • Sambles, J. R.; Elsom, K. C.; Jarvis, D. J.
  • Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, Vol. 304, Issue 1486
  • DOI: 10.1098/rsta.1982.0016

Tensile behavior of free-standing gold films. Part I. Coarse-grained films
journal, April 2003

Strain rate sensitivity and Hall–Petch behavior of ultrafine-grained gold wires
journal, June 2008

Hardening mechanisms of hard gold
journal, November 1979

  • Lo, C. C.; Augis, J. A.; Pinnel, M. R.
  • Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 50, Issue 11
  • DOI: 10.1063/1.325890

Analysis of grain‐boundary diffusion in thin films: Chromium in gold
journal, September 1976

  • Holloway, P. H.; Amos, D. E.; Nelson, G. C.
  • Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 47, Issue 9
  • DOI: 10.1063/1.323259

Diffusion of Cobalt out of Cobalt-Hardened Gold Measured with Auger Electron Spectroscopy
journal, January 1975

  • Tompkins, Harland G.
  • Journal of The Electrochemical Society, Vol. 122, Issue 7
  • DOI: 10.1149/1.2134382

Relative rates of nickel diffusion and copper diffusion through gold
journal, July 1977

  • Tompkins, H. G.; Pinnel, M. R.
  • Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 48, Issue 7
  • DOI: 10.1063/1.324045

An equation for the conductivity of binary mixtures with anisotropic grain structures
journal, March 1987

Equations for the conductivity of macroscopic mixtures
journal, March 1986

Electrical Resistivity of Composites
journal, August 1990

The conductivity of thin metallic films according to the electron theory of metals
journal, January 1938

The mean free path of electrons in metals
journal, January 1952

Electrical and mechanical properties of thin metal films: Size effects
journal, January 1980

    Sort by:
    [ × clear filter / sort ]

    Works referencing / citing this record:

    Achieving Ultralow Wear with Stable Nanocrystalline Metals
    journal, June 2018

    • Curry, John F.; Babuska, Tomas F.; Furnish, Timothy A.
    • Advanced Materials, Vol. 30, Issue 32
    • DOI: 10.1002/adma.201802026

    Linking microstructural evolution and macro-scale friction behavior in metals
    journal, November 2016

    Quantitative measurement of contact area and electron transport across platinum nanocontacts for scanning probe microscopy and electrical nanodevices
    journal, November 2018

    • Vishnubhotla, Sai Bharadwaj; Chen, Rimei; Khanal, Subarna R.
    • Nanotechnology, Vol. 30, Issue 4
    • DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/aaebd6

    Linking microstructural evolution and macro-scale friction behavior in metals
    text, January 2016

      Sort by:
      [ × clear filter / sort ]

      Similar Records in DOE PAGES and OSTI.GOV collections: