Annealing Characteristics of Al-Light-Rare-Earth Alloy Thin Films for Microelectronic Conductor Lines

1995 ◽  
Vol 403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shinji Takayama ◽  
Naganori Tsutsui
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Grain Size ◽  
Rare Earth ◽  
Grain Boundaries ◽  
High Temperatures ◽  
Light Rare Earth ◽  
Rare Earth Alloy ◽  
Metallic Compounds ◽  
Al Matrix

AbstractThe addition of La and Pr to Al thin films markedly decreases the grain size of the Al matrix and largely suppresses growth of thermal defects of hillocks and whiskers at high temperatures (350°C – 450°C). A large number of fine metallic compounds of Al11RE3 and/or Al3RE (RE = La and Pr) were segregated in an Al matrix, mostly at grain boundaries, after annealing at 350°C. The resistivities of the films after annealing at the above temperatures show very low values of less than 6 μωcm, without the salient formation of hillocks or whiskers on the film surfaces.

Effects of Addition of Heavy Rare-Earth Elements on the Structures and Resistivities of Al Thin Films for TFT - LCD Interconnects

1996 ◽  
Vol 441 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shinji Takayama ◽  
Naganori Tsutsui ◽  
Zheng Zhudan
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Solid Solution ◽  
Rare Earth ◽  
High Temperature ◽  
Supersaturated Solid Solution ◽  
Film Surface ◽  
Heavy Rare Earth ◽  
Heavy Rare Earth Elements ◽  
Metallic Compounds ◽  
Al Matrix

AbstractThe addition of Ho or Er to Al thin films markedly suppresses the grain growth at high temperature (350 °C – 450 °C). However, different from the effect of adding elements of Y, La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, and Dy, thermal defects of hillocks or whiskers start to appear on the film surface after annealing at 300 °C ( though depending on the content of added elements). It has been revealed that small amounts of metallic compounds of Al3RE (RE = Ho and Er) have been segregated in a supersaturated solid solution of the Al phase after annealing at 300 °C, and that a large amount of added impurities still remained in the Al matrix. The resistivity of Al1−xREx alloy thin films (RE = Ho or Er, x = 2 – 7 atomic %) was 5 – 7 μΩcm after annealing at 450 °C.

Preferential Orientation of Photochromic Gadolinium Oxyhydrides

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elbruz Murat Baba ◽  
Jose Montero ◽  
Dmitrii Moldarev ◽  
Marcos V. Moro ◽  
Max Wolff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Grain Size ◽  
Rare Earth ◽  
Preferential Orientation ◽  
Reactive Magnetron ◽  
Flow Ratio ◽  
Deposition Pressure ◽  
Step Process ◽  
Oxidation In Air ◽  
Key Parameter

<p>We report preferential orientation control in photochromic gadolinium oxyhydride (GdHO) thin films deposited by a two-step process. Gadolinium hydride (GdH<sub>2-x</sub>) films were grown by reactive magnetron sputtering, followed by oxidation in air. The preferential orientation, grain size, anion concentrations, and photochromic response of the films are strongly dependent on the deposition pressure. GdHO films show preferential orientation along the [100] direction and exhibit photochromism when synthesized at deposition pressures up to 5.8 Pa and. The photochromic contrast is larger than 20 % when the films are deposited below 2.8 Pa with 0.22 H<sub>2</sub>/Ar flow ratio. We argue that the degree of preferential orientation defines the oxygen concentration which is known to be a key parameter for photochromism in rare-earth oxyhydride thin films. The experimental observations described above are explained by the oxidation-induced decrease of the grain size as a result of the increase of the deposition pressure of the sputtering gas. </p>

scholarly journals Structural and Electrical Studies on ZnO-Based Thin Films by Laser Irradiation

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shanyue Zhao ◽  
Yinqun Hua ◽  
Ruifang Chen ◽  
Jian Zhang ◽  
Ping Ji
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Grain Size ◽  
Electrical Properties ◽  
Grain Boundaries ◽  
Laser Irradiation ◽  
Nonlinear Coefficient ◽  
Acceptor State ◽  
Xrd Pattern ◽  
Electrical Studies ◽  
Structural And Electrical Properties

The effects of laser irradiation on the structural and electrical properties of ZnO-based thin films were investigated. The XRD pattern shows that the thin films were highly textured along thec-axis and perpendicular to the surface of the substrate. Raman spectra reveal that Bi2O3segregates mainly at ZnO-ZnO grain boundaries. After laser irradiation processing, the grain size of the film was reduced significantly, and the intrinsic atomic defects of grain boundaries and Bi element segregated at the grain boundary were interacted frequently and formed the composite defects of acceptor state. The nonlinear coefficient increased to 24.31 and the breakdown voltage reduced to 5.34 V.

Studies on the Electrodeposition of Ce–Co Rare Earth Alloy Thin Films in Urea-DMSO systems

2006 ◽  
Vol 153 (6) ◽  
pp. C411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gao-ren Li ◽  
Qin-fang Ke ◽  
Guan-kun Liu ◽  
Ye-xiang Tong
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Rare Earth ◽  
Rare Earth Alloy

Materials and Processing Designs for High-Performance Magnesium Alloys

2005 ◽  
Vol 475-479 ◽  
pp. 453-456
Author(s):  
Katsuyoshi Kondoh ◽  
Ritsuko Tsuzuki ◽  
Wenbo Du ◽  
Shigeharu Kamado
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Tensile Strength ◽  
Rare Earth ◽  
Solid State ◽  
Magnesium Alloys ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Plastic Working ◽  
Coarse Powder ◽  
Rare Earth Alloy ◽  
High Ultimate Tensile Strength

Materials and processing designs for advanced magnesium alloys with fine microstructures and superior properties were established by the combination of the repeated plastic working and the Mg2Si synthesis in solid-state. The grain size was less than 1 μm via RPW process due to its severe plastic working on raw powder. The hot extruded magnesium alloys produced in industries showed high ultimate tensile strength, e.g. 420~450MPa, when employing Mg-Zn-Al-Ca-RE (Rare Earth) alloy coarse powder, having 0.5~2 mm diameter, as input materials.

A Comparison of Electromigration in Bulk and Thin - Film Aluminum

1995 ◽  
Vol 391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony S. Oates
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
Grain Size ◽  
Grain Boundaries ◽  
Drift Velocity ◽  
Integrated Circuit ◽  
Transport Mechanism ◽  
Dominant Mode ◽  
Velocity Data ◽  
Al Thin Film

AbstractThe dominant mode of electromigration in polycrystalline Al thin - film conductors is along grain boundaries when the conductor width is significantly larger than the grain size. Integrated circuit feature sizes, however, have now decreased to the point where microstructures are no longer polycrystalline, but are near - bamboo. Electromigration must operate along pathways other than grain boundaries in the bamboo segments. Here drift velocity data is presented for bamboo microstructures with widths down to 0.6 μm and compared with drift data available in the literature for thin films with a variety of microstructures and bulk Al. Bamboo films show lower drift velocities and higher activation energies for drift than polycrystalline films. The data for bamboo microstructures is consistent with drift measurements performed on bulk Al indicating that the transport mechanism in bamboo films is identical to that in bulk Al.

Preferential Orientation of Photochromic Gadolinium Oxyhydrides

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elbruz Murat Baba ◽  
Jose Montero ◽  
Dmitrii Moldarev ◽  
Marcos V. Moro ◽  
Max Wolff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Grain Size ◽  
Rare Earth ◽  
Preferential Orientation ◽  
Reactive Magnetron ◽  
Flow Ratio ◽  
Deposition Pressure ◽  
Step Process ◽  
Oxidation In Air ◽  
Key Parameter

<p>We report preferential orientation control in photochromic gadolinium oxyhydride (GdHO) thin films deposited by a two-step process. Gadolinium hydride (GdH<sub>2-x</sub>) films were grown by reactive magnetron sputtering, followed by oxidation in air. The preferential orientation, grain size, anion concentrations, and photochromic response of the films are strongly dependent on the deposition pressure. GdHO films show preferential orientation along the [100] direction and exhibit photochromism when synthesized at deposition pressures up to 5.8 Pa and. The photochromic contrast is larger than 20 % when the films are deposited below 2.8 Pa with 0.22 H<sub>2</sub>/Ar flow ratio. We argue that the degree of preferential orientation defines the oxygen concentration which is known to be a key parameter for photochromism in rare-earth oxyhydride thin films. The experimental observations described above are explained by the oxidation-induced decrease of the grain size as a result of the increase of the deposition pressure of the sputtering gas. </p>

Thermoelectric properties of PbTe thin films prepared by gas evaporation method

1999 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 209-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masatoshi Ito ◽  
Won-Son Seo ◽  
Kunihito Koumoto
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Electrical Conductivity ◽  
Grain Size ◽  
Seebeck Coefficient ◽  
Grain Boundaries ◽  
Carrier Concentration ◽  
Thermoelectric Properties ◽  
Carrier Mobility ◽  
Evaporation Method

PbTe thin films with fine grains were successfully fabricated by the gas evaporation method. Thermoelectric properties, i.e., Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity, both decreased with decreasing grain size. This was attributed to the decrease in carrier mobility exceeding the increase in carrier concentration with decreasing grain size. It was clarified that the effects of grain boundaries and of oxidation on carrier mobility are considerably large.

Characterization of Sputtered CdTe Thin Films with Electron Backscatter Diffraction and Correlation with Device Performance

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 927-935 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew M. Nowell ◽  
Michael A. Scarpulla ◽  
Naba R. Paudel ◽  
Kristopher A. Wieland ◽  
Alvin D. Compaan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Grain Size ◽  
Grain Boundary ◽  
Grain Boundaries ◽  
Electron Backscatter Diffraction ◽  
Electrical Performance ◽  
Poor Correlation ◽  
Twin Boundaries ◽  
Electron Backscatter ◽  
Backscatter Diffraction

AbstractThe performance of polycrystalline CdTe photovoltaic thin films is expected to depend on the grain boundary density and corresponding grain size of the film microstructure. However, the electrical performance of grain boundaries within these films is not well understood, and can be beneficial, harmful, or neutral in terms of film performance. Electron backscatter diffraction has been used to characterize the grain size, grain boundary structure, and crystallographic texture of sputtered CdTe at varying deposition pressures before and after CdCl2 treatment in order to correlate performance with microstructure. Weak fiber textures were observed in the as-deposited films, with (111) textures present at lower deposition pressures and (110) textures observed at higher deposition pressures. The CdCl2-treated samples exhibited significant grain recrystallization with a high fraction of twin boundaries. Good correlation of solar cell efficiency was observed with twin-corrected grain size while poor correlation was found if the twin boundaries were considered as grain boundaries in the grain size determination. This implies that the twin boundaries are neutral with respect to recombination and carrier transport.

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