On the dynamic roughening transition in nanocomposite film growth

Journal Article · Mon Nov 30 04:00:00 EST 2009 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3262952· OSTI ID:21294492

Shaha, K P; Pei, Y T; Chen, C Q; Vainshtein, D I; Turkin, A A ^[1]

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1. National Science Center 'Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology', 1 Akademicheskaya str., UA-61108 Kharkov (Ukraine)

Surface roughness and dynamic growth behavior of TiC/a-C nanocomposite films deposited by nonreactive pulsed-dc (p-dc) magnetron sputtering were studied using atomic force microscopy, cross-sectional scanning, and transmission electron microscopy. From detailed analyses of surface morphology and growth conditions, it is concluded that a transition in growth mechanisms occurs, i.e., a mechanism dominated by geometric shadowing at a p-dc frequency of 100 kHz evolving to a surface diffusion mechanism driven by impact-induced atomistic downhill flow process by Ar{sup +} ions at a p-dc frequency of 350 kHz. It is shown that rapid smoothening of initially rough surfaces with rms roughness from {approx}6 to <1 nm can be effectively achieved with p-dc sputtering at 350 kHz pulse frequency, leading to a transition from a strong columnar to a columnar-free microstructure.

• OSTI ID: 21294492
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 22 Vol. 95; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
ARGON IONS
ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY
CARBON
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
CRYSTAL GROWTH
DEPOSITION
KHZ RANGE 100-1000
MICROSTRUCTURE
MORPHOLOGY
NANOSTRUCTURES
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PULSES
ROUGHNESS
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SPUTTERING
THIN FILMS
TITANIUM CARBIDES
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY