Hrem Study of Fracture and Deformation Behavior of Nanostructured Thin Films

1993 ◽  
Vol 308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming Ke ◽  
Walter W. Milligan ◽  
Stephen A. Hackney ◽  
John E. Carsley ◽  
Elias C. Aifantis
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Grain Size ◽  
Main Crack ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Electron Beam Evaporation ◽  
Triple Junctions ◽  
Nickel Thin Films ◽  
Grain Sizes ◽  
Deformation And Fracture ◽  
Boundary Triple

ABSTRACTNanocrystalline gold and nickel thin films were prepared by both ion beam sputter deposition and electron beam evaporation techniques. The grain sizes were between 8–60 nm, depending on the processing. The deformation and fracture behavior of these nanostructural thin films were then investigated in a high resolution electron microscope (HREM) with atomic resolution. The behavior was a strong function of grain size. During slow strain rate deformation of small grain size materials (< 25 nm), nanopores formed and grew at grain boundary triple junctions in the front of crack and eventually linked with the main crack. The coalescence of the main crack with the growing nanopore, along with the elimination of the ligament between the two by a diffusive process, both indicated that diffusion played a role in deformation and fracture of these nanocrystalline thin films. In nickel films with larger grain sizes (> 25 nm), the cracks propagated in a mixed mode which was partially intergranular and partially transgranular. The transgranular propagation was crystallographic in nature, showing very fine, distinct crystallographic facets on the crack faces. It is suggested that a transition from intergranular propagation to a “cleavage-like” mechanism of propagation occurs with the increase of grain size.

Mechanical Properties of Electroplated Copper Thin Films

1999 ◽  
Vol 594 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Spolenak ◽  
C. A. Volkert ◽  
K. Takahashi ◽  
S. Fiorillo ◽  
J. Miner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Grain Size ◽  
Film Thickness ◽  
Yield Stress ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Focused Ion Beam ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Cu Films ◽  
Electroplated Copper

AbstractIt is well known that the mechanical properties of thin films depend critically on film thickness However, the contributions from film thickness and grain size are difficult to separate, because they typically scale with each other. In one study by Venkatraman and Bravman, Al films, which were thinned using anodic oxidation to reduce film thickness without changing grain size, showed a clear increase in yield stress with decreasing film thickness.We have performed a similar study on both electroplated and sputtered Cu films by using chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) to reduce the film thickness without changing the grain size. Stress-temperature curves were measured for both the electroplated and sputtered Cu films with thicknesses between 0.1 and 1.8 microns using a laser scanning wafer curvature technique. The yield stress at room temperature was found to increase with decreasing film thickness for both sets of samples. The sputtered films, however, showed higher yield stresses in comparison to the electroplated films. Most of these differences can be attributed to the different microstructures of the films, which were determined by focused ion beam (FIB) microscopy and x-ray diffraction.

Effect of Grain Size on Mechanical Properties and Fatigue Strength of Nano-Crystalline Nickel Thin Films

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 (0) ◽  
pp. OS02-01
Author(s):  
Yuta NAKATSUKA ◽  
Hiroyuki ENOMOTO ◽  
Ryota TAKESHIGE ◽  
Yoshikazu NAKAI ◽  
Shoichi KIKUCHI
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Grain Size ◽  
Fatigue Strength ◽  
Nickel Thin Films ◽  
Nano Crystalline

Preparation and Photoelectrochemical Properties of SrTiO3 Thin Films on Nickel Substrate by Hydrothermal Method

2007 ◽  
Vol 121-123 ◽  
pp. 1297-1300
Author(s):  
G.T. Wang ◽  
J.P. Tu ◽  
W.K. Zhang ◽  
X.L. Wang ◽  
H. Huang
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Grain Size ◽  
Saturated Vapor ◽  
Photoelectrochemical Properties ◽  
Vapor Pressures ◽  
Nickel Substrate ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
Xrd Pattern ◽  
Ni Substrate ◽  
Grain Sizes

Well-crystallized nanopolycrystalline thin films of cubic strontium titanate, SrTiO3, have been prepared on the TiNi-deposited Ni substrate in Sr(OH)2 aqueous solutions at temperatures between 130 and 200°C under saturated vapor pressures. The microstructure and morphology of the films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The photoelectrochemical properties of SrTiO3 thin films on TiNi-deposited Ni substrate were investigated on a three-electrode assembly. The grain sizes increased from 30 nm to 300 nm and the relative crystal intensity in XRD pattern increased with the reaction temperature. Its photocurrent increasesdfirst with the grain size, then decreased. When the grain size of the film is about 200 nm, the photocurrent is highest.

Low grain size TiN thin films obtained by low energy ion beam assisted deposition

2001 ◽  
Vol 173 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 290-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.M. López ◽  
F.J. Gordillo-Vázquez ◽  
O. Böhme ◽  
J.M. Albella
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Grain Size ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Ion Beam Assisted Deposition ◽  
Tin Thin Films

Effects of Sputtering Conditions on Texture, Microstructure and Magnetic Properties of the CoCrPt/NiAl Thin Films

1998 ◽  
Vol 517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y.-N. Hsu ◽  
D. E. Laughlin ◽  
D. N. Lambeth
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Grain Size ◽  
Magnetic Properties ◽  
Optimum Pressure ◽  
Grain Sizes ◽  
Maximum Value ◽  
Sputtering Power ◽  
Sputtering Pressure ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Microstructure And Magnetic Properties

AbstractThe effects of sputtering argon pressures and sputtering power on the microstructure, texture and magnetic properties of NiAI underlayers on CoCrPt films were investigated. In this paper, the relationship between the sputtering conditions, microstructure, crystallographic texture and magnetic properties of these thin films will be discussed. By controlling the sputtering pressure and sputtering power, the texture and microstructure of NiAI underlayers were found to vary. This in turn was found to influence the magnetic properties of CoCrPt thin films. It was found that 10 mtorr is the optimum pressure to deposit the NiAl thin films to obtain the best magnetic properties for our system. At this argon pressure, the coercivity reached a maximum value because of the strongest CoCrPt (1010) texture and smallest grain size. At lower argon pressures (< 10 mtorr), NiAI tended to have a (110) texture reducing the CoCrPt (1010) texture, which in turn reduced the CoCrPt coercivity and S*. Also, high NiAl deposition pressures (>30 mtorr) yielded larger grains and a weaker CoCrPt (1010) texture, thereby decreasing the coercivity of the CoCrPt films. Increasing the sputtering power has been found to increase the CoCrPt coercivity and S* value. However, the grain sizes of the CoCrPt/NiAl thin films deposited at higher sputtering power were larger than those obtained at lower sputtering power.

Kinetics of the C49 TO C54 Phase Transformation in TiSi2 thin Films on Deep-Sub-Micron Lines

1995 ◽  
Vol 402 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Kittl ◽  
D. A. Prinslow ◽  
P. P Apte ◽  
M. F. Pas
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Grain Size ◽  
Phase Transformation ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
One Dimensional ◽  
Grain Sizes ◽  
Nucleation Sites ◽  
Dimensional Growth ◽  
Kinetics Of

AbstractThe kinetics of the TiSi2 C49 to C54 phase transformation in thin films on patterned deepsub- micron lines, were studied to obtain the full time, temperature and linewidth dependence of the fraction transformed during rapid thermal annealing. A Johnson-Mehl-Avrami kinetic analysis was performed, obtaining Avrami exponents of 0.8±0.2 for all sub-micron lines and 1. 9±0.2 for a 40 μm side square structure, indicating heterogeneous nucleation followed by one dimensional growth for the narrow lines, and two dimensional growth for the square structure. The activation energy, of 3.9 eV, was independent of linewidth in the sub-micron range. Transformation times increased dramatically for decreasing linewidth, as the linewidth approached the grain size of the starting C49 phase. A kinetic model based on the density of nucleation sites as a function of linewidth and C49 grain size is proposed and shown to fit the data, for samples with two different C49 grain sizes.

Pulsed Ion Beam Annealing of Metal and Silicide Thin Films on Silicon

1982 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
pp. 458-459
Author(s):  
L.J. Chen ◽  
L.S. Hung ◽  
J.W. Mayer
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Surface Region ◽  
Molten Layer ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Contact Materials ◽  
Energy Beam ◽  
Nickel Thin Films ◽  
Metal Silicides ◽  
Silicide Growth

Metal silicides have found increasing use in microelectronic industry as contact materials. Energy beam annealing offers controlled energy deposition in the near surface region so that silicide growth is achieved without heating the entire layer. When pulsed laser and electron at high power density were applied to metal-semiconductor systems, cellular structures have been formed with silicon columns surrounded by silicide walls as a result of the formation of the molten layer of metal and silicon followed by segregation due to constitutional supercooling as the melt front moves toward the surface. A wealth of microstructures were observed in pulsed ion beam annealed nickel thin films on silicon. An interface melting mechanism was invoked to explain the results. In this paper, we report further data on the subject.

Plan-View Preparation of TEM Specimens from Thin Films Using Adhesive Tape

2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 886-888
Author(s):  
Zsolt Czigány
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
Grain Size ◽  
Nanostructured Materials ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Adhesive Tape ◽  
Alloy Thin Film ◽  
Preparation Technique ◽  
Plan View ◽  
High Resolution Tem

AbstractA simple plan-view sample preparation technique for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) specimens is proposed for thin films by tearing-off the film with adhesive tape. The demand for very thin samples is highest for nanostructured materials where the structure of 2–5 nm sized features (grains) needs to be resolved; therefore, overlapping of nanometer-sized features should be avoided. The method provides thin areas at the fracture edges of plan-view specimens with thickness in the range of the grain size in the film allowing for artifact free high-resolution TEM imaging. Nanostructured materials typically fracture between the grains providing areas with the thickness of the grain size. Besides the swiftness of the method, the samples are free of surface amorphization artifacts, which can occur in ion beam milling up to 1 nm depth even at low energy ion bombardment. The thin film tear-off technique is demonstrated on a CuMn alloy thin film with grain size of 2 nm.

Size Effects and Domains in Ferroelectric Thin Film Actuators

1996 ◽  
Vol 433 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Trolier-Mckinstry ◽  
C. A. Randall ◽  
J. P. Maria ◽  
C. Theis ◽  
D. G. Schlom ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Grain Size ◽  
Domain Walls ◽  
Sol Gel ◽  
Ferroelectric Thin Film ◽  
Ferroelectric Thin Films ◽  
Grain Sizes ◽  
Average Grain Size ◽  
Ferroelectric Domains ◽  
Gel Processing

AbstractFerroelectric thin films typically differ from bulk ceramics in terms of both the average grain size and the degree of stress imposed on the film by the substrate. Studies on bulk ceramics have demonstrated that the number of domain variants within grains depends on the grain size for sizes <˜lμm. This can diminish the poling efficiency of the material. Since most thin films show primary grain sizes well below a micron, similar effects should be observed in films. In addition, since the perovskite ferroelectrics contain ferroelastic as well as ferroelectric domains, it seems clear that stress in thin films may markedly alter the degree to which domain walls contribute to the observed properties. In this paper, the relative importance of these factors are discussed for several types of ferroelectric thin films. Films have been prepared by pulsed laser deposition, magnetron sputtering, and by sol-gel processing. It has been found that epitaxial BaTiO3 films are ferroelectric at 77K down to thicknesses as low as ˜ 60nm. Data on the low and high field electrical properties are reported as a function of temperature, the film crystallinity, and film thickness for representative perovskite films.

Growth and Structure of in-plane Textured MgO Thin Films Deposited on Amorphous Substrates using ion-beam-assisted E-Beam Evaporation

1997 ◽  
Vol 504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Connie P. Wang ◽  
Khiem B. Do ◽  
Ann F. Marshall ◽  
Theodore H. Geballe ◽  
Malcolm R. Beasley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Cross Section ◽  
Film Growth ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Electron Beam Evaporation ◽  
Grain Structure ◽  
Structure Evolution ◽  
Stages Of Growth ◽  
Amorphous Substrates

ABSTRACTIn-plane aligned MgO thin films (∼100Å) have been obtained on various amorphous substrates by Ar+ ion-assisted electron-beam evaporation. Based on RHEED and cross-section TEM, we have shown that the MgO texture appears at a very early stage of film growth and is optimized at a thickness of around 100Å. Optimal thickness is the stage at which the surface is fully covered by MgO crystallites. The planar-view TEM of grain structure evolution in samples at different stages of growth reveals the dynamics of the texture developing process. Small, (100)-faceted MgO grains were observed both in planar-view and cross-section TEM images.

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