Investigation of microstructure, surface morphology, and hardness properties of PtIr films by magnetron sputtering

Journal Article · Wed Sep 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, International Journal Devoted to Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1116/1.3457490· OSTI ID:22053989

Lee, Chao-Te; Liu, Bo-Heng; Chang, Chun-Ming; Lin, Yu-Wei ^[1]

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1. Instrument Technology Research Center, National Applied Research Laboratories, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan (China)

Pt{sub 1-x}Ir{sub x} films with x varying from 22.76 to 63.25 at. % are deposited on (100) Si wafer substrates at 400 deg. C by magnetron sputtering deposition. The effects of the Ir concentration on the microstructure, morphology, and hardness of PtIr films are investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and nanoindentation system. The columnar structures are observed by field emission scanning electron microscopy. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that PtIr films have preferred orientation along Pt(111) when the Ir concentration is below 50.84 at. %. When the Ir content is more than 50.84 at. %, the PtIr film shifts to another preferred orientation, Ir(111). The surface morphology is analyzed by atomic force microscopy. The roughness of the PtIr films decreases with increasing Ir content. The hardness of all the PtIr films is below 20 GPa. The maximum hardness of the PtIr films is about 14.9 GPa when the Ir concentration is 57.9 at. %.

• OSTI ID: 22053989
• Journal Information: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, International Journal Devoted to Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films, Vol. 28, Issue 5; Other Information: (c) 2010 American Vacuum Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1553-1813
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY
FIELD EMISSION
GRAIN ORIENTATION
HARDNESS
IRIDIUM
MAGNETRONS
MORPHOLOGY
PLATINUM
PLATINUM ALLOYS
PRESSURE RANGE GIGA PA
ROUGHNESS
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SPUTTERING
SURFACES
THIN FILMS
X-RAY DIFFRACTION