Abstract
The deposition processes of Cu atoms onto Si substrate are studied in atomic-scale molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Our aim here is to check how the microstructure properties of Cu thin film are affected by the incident angles. To this end, we have adopted various analytical techniques such as surface roughness, layer coverage, film density, and internal stress. Our results show that at low incident angles (0∘−45∘), the deposition of Cu atoms on the substrate generates a compact and uniform thin film with approximately a smooth surface. However, at higher incident angles (60∘−85∘) the effects become more pronounced, where the thin film morphology is changed from a dense structure to a columnar structure with more voids and vacancies. The surface roughness was also significantly increased as the incident angle increases. On the other hand, the analysis of interface mixing revealed that there are little effects of the deposition angles on the film-substrate mixing, and the penetration of Cu atoms onto Si substrate is limited to the two first upper layers. In the same context, our calculations show that the film density decreases significantly along the growth direction when the incident angles are above 60∘. Finally, the result of residual stress after the deposition process demonstrates that the film has compressive stress at low incident angles, but it changed to tensile stress when deposition angles exceed 60∘.
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.