Microstructure and properties of dual ion beam sputtered tungsten film

Journal Article · Fri Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989 · Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology, A: Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1116/1.576301· OSTI ID:5525999

Kao, A S; Hwang, C; Novotny, V J; Deline, V R; Gorman, G L ^[1]

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1. IBM Research Division, Almaden Research Center, San Jose, California 95120-6099 (US)

The relationship between microstructure and properties of dual ion beam sputtered tungsten film is investigated. Film properties, such as electrical resistivity and residual stress, are found to be dependent significantly on the Ar{sup +} sputtering energy from the deposition source and also on the flux density and energy of the assisting beam. Resistivity increases with increasing Ar{sup +} sputtering energy, and decreases with increasing assisting flux and energy. Residual stress increases with increasing Ar{sup +} sputtering energy and decreasing flux of assisting beam. With high Ar{sup +} sputtering energy, such as 1200 eV, a flux of energetic particles including sputtered atoms and reflected argon is directed toward film surface resulting in the atomic peening and sputter etching of growing film, which is a characteristic result of directional sputtering using ion beam. Microstructural analysis shows that this process causes the formation of finer grains, denser microdefects, sharp strain contours, and metastable {beta}-phase tungsten, which correlate consistently with the observed high stress and resistivity. Bombarding the growing film with low-energy assisting Ar{sup +} flux reduces both stress and resistivity by mobilizing the sputtered atoms on film surface. It is shown that the presence of assisting flux reduces the density of microdefect and strain contours within the grain, and stabilizes the bcc {alpha}-phase tungsten without altering the overall microstructure of the tungsten film.

• OSTI ID: 5525999
• Journal Information: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology, A: Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films; (USA), Vol. 7:5; ISSN 0734-2101
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ARGON IONS
COLLISIONS
TUNGSTEN
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
BCC LATTICES
CRYSTAL GROWTH
DEPOSITION
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
EV RANGE
MEV RANGE 01-10
MICROSTRUCTURE
SPUTTERING
STRESSES
THIN FILMS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CRYSTAL LATTICES
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
CUBIC LATTICES
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY RANGE
FILMS
IONS
METALS
MEV RANGE
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
360102* - Metals & Alloys- Structure & Phase Studies
360104 - Metals & Alloys- Physical Properties