Abstract
AbstractThe magnitude of the average stress in a thin film can be obtained by measuring the curvature of the film-substrate couple. However, the details of the strain distribution, as a function of depth through the thickness of the film, can have important consequences in governing film quality and ultimate morphology. A high-resolution x-ray diffraction method was used to determine the depth dependence of strain in a textured Mo film, with a nominal thickness of 260 nm, which was deposited by planar magnetron sputtering onto Si (100) substrates. The principal strains, resolved onto a laboratory reference frame, displayed a negligible gradient in the azimuthal directions (x and y), but displayed a large gradient in the direction normal to the film (z). A similar trend was previously observed for a 100 nm polycrystalline film, but the magnitude of the normal strain very near the free surface was about a factor of 2 less. The increase in the normal strain may be due to the development of a preferred growth direction and grain facetting. A linear elastic model was also used to determine the strains in successive slabs of the film, where strain variations between slabs were indicated.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.