Abstract
A method to model the metastable phase formation in the Cu–W system based on the critical surface diffusion distance has been developed. The driver for the formation of a second phase is the critical diffusion distance which is dependent on the solubility of W in Cu and on the solubility of Cu in W. Based on comparative theoretical and experimental data, we can describe the relationship between the solubilities and the critical diffusion distances in order to model the metastable phase formation. Metastable phase formation diagrams for Cu–W and Cu–V thin films are predicted and validated by combinatorial magnetron sputtering experiments. The correlative experimental and theoretical research strategy adopted here enables us to efficiently describe the relationship between the solubilities and the critical diffusion distances in order to model the metastable phase formation during magnetron sputtering.
Highlights
During energetic vapor phase condensation, for example by magnetron sputtering and cathodic arc deposition, the formation of metastable phases is often observed
The aims of the present work are (1) to develop a model with which to describe the relationship between solubilities and critical diffusion distances based on experimental phase formation data,[19] (2) to predict metastable Cu–W and Cu–V phase formation diagrams and (3) to validate these predictions using additional thin film growth and characterization experiments
− Qs 2kTc where Tc denotes the critical temperature for each CuxW1-x composition at a certain deposition rate
Summary
During energetic vapor phase condensation, for example by magnetron sputtering and cathodic arc deposition, the formation of metastable phases is often observed. This is attributed to kinetically limited growth processes that govern thin film structure evolution.[1,2,3] For thin films deposited at low temperatures, surface diffusion is the underlying physical mechanism that controls metastable phase formation.[1,2,3] The atomic mobility can be studied using the temporal dependence of the surface diffusion distance of an atom as given by Einstein [4]: X = √2Dst (1). No modeling attempt has been undertaken to predict metastable phase formation diagrams covering the whole composition range
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