Effects of a cathode fall region on deposition rate of copper atoms in Dc plasma sputtering source

Solid state materials in the form of thin films have found increasing structural and electronic applications. Among the multitude of thin film deposition techniques, the radio frequency induced plasma sputtering has gained considerable utilization in recent years through advances in equipment design and process improvement, as well as the discovery of the versatility of the process to control film properties. In our laboratory we have used the scanning electron microscope extensively in the direct and indirect characterization of sputtered films for correlation with their physical and electrical properties.Scanning electron microscopy is a powerful tool for the examination of surfaces of solids and for the failure analysis of structural components and microelectronic devices.

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(111) Monocrystalline Nickel Films

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100095819 ◽

1972 ◽

Vol 30 ◽

pp. 512-513

Author(s):

T.E. Pratt ◽

R.W. Vook

Keyword(s):

Film Thickness ◽

Deposition Rate ◽

Room Temperature ◽

Narrow Range ◽

High Vacuum ◽

Residual Pressure ◽

Temperature Dependent ◽

Deposition Parameters ◽

Transmission Electron ◽

Substrate Temperatures

(111) oriented thin monocrystalline Ni films have been prepared by vacuum evaporation and examined by transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction. In high vacuum, at room temperature, a layer of NaCl was first evaporated onto a freshly air-cleaved muscovite substrate clamped to a copper block with attached heater and thermocouple. Then, at various substrate temperatures, with other parameters held within a narrow range, Ni was evaporated from a tungsten filament. It had been shown previously that similar procedures would yield monocrystalline films of CU, Ag, and Au.For the films examined with respect to temperature dependent effects, typical deposition parameters were: Ni film thickness, 500-800 A; Ni deposition rate, 10 A/sec.; residual pressure, 10-6 torr; NaCl film thickness, 250 A; and NaCl deposition rate, 10 A/sec. Some additional evaporations involved higher deposition rates and lower film thicknesses.Monocrystalline films were obtained with substrate temperatures above 500° C. Below 450° C, the films were polycrystalline with a strong (111) preferred orientation.

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Hole Formation in Gold Films

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100095807 ◽

1972 ◽

Vol 30 ◽

pp. 510-511

Author(s):

R. W. Vook ◽

R. Cook ◽

R. Ziemer

Keyword(s):

Deposition Rate ◽

Quartz Crystal ◽

Evaporation Rate ◽

Gold Films ◽

Hole Density ◽

Hole Formation ◽

Microscope Slide ◽

Crystal Film ◽

Glass Microscope Slide ◽

Glass Microscope

During recent experiments on Au films, a qualitative correlation between hole formation and deposition rate was observed. These early studies were concerned with films 80 to 1000A thick deposited on glass at -185°C and annealed at 170°C. In the present studies this earlier work was made quantitative. Deposition rates varying between 5 and 700 A/min were used. The effects of deposition rate on hole density for two films 300 and 700A thick were investigated.Au was evaporated from an outgassed W filament located 10 cm from a glass microscope slide substrate and a quartz crystal film thickness monitor. A shutter separating the filament from the substrate and monitor made it possible to obtain a constant evaporation rate before initiating deposition. The pressure was reduced to less than 1 x 10-6 torr prior to cooling the substrate with liquid nitrogen. The substrate was cooled in 15 minutes during which the pressure continued to drop to the mid 10-7 torr range, where deposition was begun.

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