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

Journal Article · Tue Apr 14 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4915922· OSTI ID:22402849

Mogonye, J. E.; Michael, J. R.; Goeke, R. S.; Kotula, P. G.; Scharf, T. W.; Dugger, M. T.; Prasad, S. V. ^[1]

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1. Materials Science and Engineering Center, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185 (United States)

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 situ electrical 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 E{sub a} = 21.6 kJ/mol and A{sub o} = 2.3 × 10{sup −17} m{sup 2}/s for Au-1 vol. % ZnO and E{sub a} = 12.7 kJ/mol and A{sub o} = 3.1 × 10{sup −18} m{sup 2}/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. The proposed correlations are supported by microstructural characterization using transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction mapping for grain size determination.

• OSTI ID: 22402849
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 117, Issue 14; Other Information: (c) 2015 U.S. Government; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACTIVATION ENERGY
ANNEALING
CORRELATIONS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRON DIFFRACTION
ELECTRONS
GOLD
GRAIN BOUNDARIES
GRAIN GROWTH
GRAIN REFINEMENT
GRAIN SIZE
HARDNESS
NANOSTRUCTURES
PHYSICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
POLYCRYSTALS
THIN FILMS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
VAPOR DEPOSITED COATINGS
ZINC OXIDES