Effects of substrate properties and sputtering methods on self-formation of Ag particles on the Ag–Mo(Zr) alloy films

Haoliang Sun,Xiaoxue Huang,David Hui,Guangxin Wang,Xinxin Lian

doi:10.1515/ntrev-2020-0077

Abstract

Abstract This article studies two different sputtering methods for depositing Ag–Mo and Ag–Zr alloy films on single crystal silicon (Si), flexible polyimide (PI) and soda-lime glass substrates. The phase structure and the surface morphology of the Ag–Mo(Zr) alloy films were characterized by XRD, SEM and EDS. The effects of substrate properties and sputtering methods on the self-grown Ag particles on the Ag–Mo(Zr) alloy films were investigated. As the result of the experiment, nanoscale Ag particles were formed on the surface of Ag–Mo(Zr) alloy films. However, the size and the number of self-formed Ag particles on the Ag–Mo(Zr) alloy film on the PI substrate are significantly different from that on the Si substrate and glass substrate. This outcome is closely related to the different thermal stress evolution behaviors of the alloy films on different substrates during annealing.

Highlights

IntroductionWith the increasingly severe service conditions of microdevices, the requirements for the performance of the thin-film
Based on the aforementioned analysis, it can be concluded that the size and the number of Ag particles formed on the Ag–Mo (Zr) alloy films on different substrates mainly depend on the substrate properties and sputtering methods
Ag–Mo and Ag–Zr alloy films were fabricated on PI, Si and glass substrates by composite target sputtering and co-sputtering

Summary

Introduction

With the increasingly severe service conditions of microdevices, the requirements for the performance of the thin-film. Effects of substrate properties and sputtering methods 991 morphology and thermal expansion coefficient of different substrates, the alloy films on different substrates have different evolution behaviors of microstructure and residual stress during annealing [30]. Alloy films prepared by co-sputtering deposition and composite target sputtering may have differences in composition uniformity, microstructure and residual stress [31]. The authors applied two different sputtering methods to prepare Ag–Mo and Ag–Zr alloy films on PI, Si and glass substrates. The microstructure, morphology and composition of Ag–Mo(Zr) alloy films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD; Bruker-AXS D8 Advance, Shimadzu Limited, Kyoto, Japan) (Cu K-alpha) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM, JSM 7800F, JEOL Ltd, Tokyo, Japan) with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS)

Materials and methods

Morphology characterization of the Ag–Mo films on different substrates

Surface morphology of the Ag–Zr films on different substrates

Conclusions