Microstructure and temperature coefficient of resistance of thin cermet resistor films deposited from CrSi{sub 2}-Cr-SiC targets by S-gun magnetron

Journal Article · Fri Jan 15 04:00:00 EST 2010 · Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, International Journal Devoted to Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1116/1.3259847· OSTI ID:22053599

Felmetsger, Valery V ^[1]

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1. Tegal Corporation, 51 Daggett Drive, San Jose, California 95134 (United States)

Technological solutions for producing nanoscale cermet resistor films with sheet resistances above 1000 {Omega}/{open_square} and low temperature coefficients of resistance (TCR) have been investigated. 2-40 nm thick cermet films were sputter deposited from CrSi{sub 2}-Cr-SiC targets by a dual cathode dc S-gun magnetron. In addition to studying film resistance versus temperature, the nanofilm structural features and composition were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and electron energy loss spectroscopy. This study has revealed that all cermet resistor films deposited at ambient and elevated temperatures were amorphous. The atomic ratio of Si to Cr in these films was about 2 to 1. The film TCR displayed a significant increase when the deposited film thickness was reduced below 2.5 nm. An optimized sputter process consisting of wafer degassing, cermet film deposition at elevated temperature with rf substrate bias, and a double annealing in vacuum, consisting of in situ annealing following the film sputtering and an additional annealing following the exposure of the wafers to air, has been found to be very effective for the film thermal stabilization and for fine tuning the film TCR. Cermet films with thicknesses in the range of 2.5-4 nm deposited using this technique had sheet resistances ranging from 1800 to 1200 {Omega}/{open_square} and TCR values from -50 ppm/ deg. C to near zero, respectively. A possible mechanism responsible for the high efficiency of annealing the cermet films in vacuum (after preliminary exposure to air), resulting in resistance stabilization and TCR reduction, is also discussed.

• OSTI ID: 22053599
• Journal Information: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, International Journal Devoted to Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films, Journal Name: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, International Journal Devoted to Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 28; ISSN 1553-1813
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ANNEALING
ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY
CERMETS
CHROMIUM SILICIDES
DEGASSING
DEPOSITION
ENERGY-LOSS SPECTROSCOPY
MAGNETRONS
MICROSTRUCTURE
NANOSTRUCTURES
RESISTORS
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SILICON CARBIDES
SPUTTERING
SUBSTRATES
TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT
THIN FILMS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
X-RAY SPECTROSCOPY