Crystallization of Focused-Electron-Beam Deposited Tungsten Wire on Molybdenum Substrate

Abstract

Tungsten wire was fabricated on molybdenum substrate by electron-beam-induced deposition (EBID) using 20 keV electrons in a scanning electron microscope. The as-deposited structure of the tungsten wire was composed of homogeneous nanocrystallites with sizes of 2–4 nm, which were embedded in an amorphous matrix. After annealing at 900 °C, the crystallization of the deposited structure took place. Heterogeneous polycrystalline grains of tungsten, tungsten carbide and tungsten oxide were observed in sizes of up to tens of nanometers. The amorphous material in the original deposit almost disappeared, and part of the amorphous layer between the tungsten wire and the molybdenum substrate was also crystallized by annealing.