In-situ UHV TEM investigations of the initial oxidation stage of copper thin films

Book · Thu Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1998

OSTI ID:323514

Yang, J C; Yeadon, M; Gibson, J M ^[1]; Kolasa, B ^[2]

---

1. Univ. of Illinois, Urbana, IL (United States). Frederick Seitz Materials Research Lab.
2. Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, CA (United States). Dept. of Physics

The nucleation and growth of Cu{sub 2}O due to oxidation o Cu(001) films were monitored at various temperatures an oxygen partial pressures. For all examined temperatures and pressures, Cu{sub 2}O islands were observed to form epitaxially with respect to the copper film. The nucleation of these oxide islands was homogeneous--no clear evidence was observed for either steps or dislocations being preferential nucleation sites. Based on this data, the authors have developed a semiquantitative model of the initial oxidation stage where the dominant mechanism for transport, nucleation and growth of oxide islands in oxygen diffusion on the Cu surface. The authors are presently comparing their experimental data with nucleation rate theory, where the predictions qualitatively describe their observations, but not quantitatively.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: FG02-91ER45439
• OSTI ID: 323514
• Report Number(s): CONF-971201--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
COPPER
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
NUCLEATION
OXIDATION
OXYGEN
PRESSURE DEPENDENCE
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
THIN FILMS