Bias sputter deposition of PdAuSi and PdSi: Composition and thermal behavior

Abstract

Amorphous films of PdAuSi and PdSi were prepared by bias sputter deposition. Variation of the substrate bias voltage used in rf sputter deposition of PdAuSi films produced changes in chemical composition and thermal behavior as observed by differetial scanning calorimetry. The amount of Ar incorporated during sputtering initially increases with increasing bias voltage, then decreases to a minimum at approximately −200 V and increases rapidly thereafter. Amorphous films of the binary alloy PdSi were prepared by both rf and dc sputter deposition at a single substrate bias voltage of −200 V. The heats of crystallization of the ternary sputter deposited films were within 10–20% of those of melt-quenched alloys with similar compositions.