Microstructural and conductivity comparison of Ag films grown on amorphous TiO2 and polycrystalline ZnO
8 nm thick Ag films were sputter deposited onto amorphous TiO{sub 2} underlayers 25 nm thick, and also amorphous TiO{sub 2} (25 nm)/ZnO (5 nm) multiunderlayers. The substrates were back-etched Si with a 50 nm thick LPCVD Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} electron transparent membrane. The ZnO, sputtered onto amorphous TiO{sub 2}, formed a continuous layer with a grain size of 5 nm in diameter, on the order of the film thickness. There are several microstructural differences in the Ag dependent on the underlayers, revealed by TEM. First a strong {l_brace}0001{r_brace} ZnO to {l_brace}111{r_brace} Ag fibre-texture relationship exists. On TiO{sub 2} the Ag microstructure shows many abnormal grains whose average diameter is about 60-80 nm, whereas the films on ZnO show few abnormal grains. The background matrix of normal grains on the TiO{sub 2} is roughly 15 nm, while the normal grain size on the ZnO is about 25 nm. Electron diffraction patterns show that the film on ZnO has a strong {l_brace}111{r_brace} orientation, and dark field images with this diffraction condition have a grain size of about 30 nm. In a region near the center of the TEM grid where there is the greatest local heating during deposition, Ag films grown on amorphous TiO{sub 2} are discontinuous, whereas on ZnO, the film is continuous. When films 8 nm films are grown on solid glass substrates, those with ZnO underlayers have sheet resistances of 5.68 {Omega}/, whereas those on TiO{sub 2} are 7.56 {Omega}/, and when 16 nm thick, the corresponding sheet resistances are 2.7 {Omega}/ and 3.3 {Omega}/. The conductivity difference is very repeatable. The improved conductivity is thought to be a combined effect of reduced grain boundary area per unit volume, the predominance of low grain boundary resistivity Coincidence Site Lattice boundaries from the Ag {l_brace}111{r_brace} orientation, and Ag planarization on ZnO resulting in less groove formation on deposition, concluded from atomic force microscopy.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Director, Office of Science. Office of Basic Energy Sciences. Division of Materials Sciences (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-76SF00098
- OSTI ID:
- 821432
- Report Number(s):
- LBNL-47666; R&D Project: 503601; TRN: US200411%%149
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 26 Mar 2001
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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