Pressure-dependent transition from atoms to nanoparticles in magnetron sputtering: Effect on WSi{sub 2} film roughness and stress

Journal Article · Sun Aug 15 04:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVB.82.075408· OSTI ID:21421399

Lan, Zhou; Yiping, Wang; Hua, Zhou; Minghao, Li; Headrick, Randall L; MacArthur, Kimberly; Bing, Shi; Conley, Ray; Macrander, Albert T ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics and Materials Science Program, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405 (United States)

We report on the transition between two regimes from several-atom clusters to much larger nanoparticles in Ar magnetron sputter deposition of WSi{sub 2}, and the effect of nanoparticles on the properties of amorphous thin films and multilayers. Sputter deposition of thin films is monitored by in situ x-ray scattering, including x-ray reflectivity and grazing incidence small-angle x-ray scattering. The results show an abrupt transition at an Ar background pressure P{sub c}; the transition is associated with the threshold for energetic particle thermalization, which is known to scale as the product of the Ar pressure and the working distance between the magnetron source and the substrate surface. Below P{sub c} smooth films are produced while above P{sub c} roughness increases abruptly, consistent with a model in which particles aggregate in the deposition flux before reaching the growth surface. The results from WSi{sub 2} films are correlated with in situ measurement of stress in WSi{sub 2}/Si multilayers, which exhibits a corresponding transition from compressive to tensile stress at P{sub c}. The tensile stress is attributed to coalescence of nanoparticles and the elimination of nanovoids.

• OSTI ID: 21421399
• Journal Information: Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Journal Name: Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 82; ISSN 1098-0121
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
AMORPHOUS STATE
ATOMIC CLUSTERS
ATOMS
COHERENT SCATTERING
DEPOSITION
DIFFRACTION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRON TUBES
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
FILMS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LAYERS
MAGNETRONS
MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT
MICROWAVE TUBES
NANOSTRUCTURES
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PRESSURE DEPENDENCE
RADIATIONS
REFLECTIVITY
REFRACTORY METAL COMPOUNDS
ROUGHNESS
SCATTERING
SILICIDES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SLOWING-DOWN
SMALL ANGLE SCATTERING
SPUTTERING
STRESSES
SUBSTRATES
SURFACE PROPERTIES
SURFACES
THERMALIZATION
THIN FILMS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TUNGSTEN COMPOUNDS
TUNGSTEN SILICIDES
X RADIATION
X-RAY DIFFRACTION