Abstract
Thin epitaxial films of metals on insulating substrates are essential for many applications, as conducting layers, in magnetic devices or as templates for further growth. In this work, we report on the growth of epitaxial Ru films on single-crystalline Al2O3(0001) substrates by magnetron sputtering and their subsequent systematic characterization using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry of He ions both in random and in channeling conditions. We include results of a Ru(0001) single crystal for comparison. Analysis of channeling shows that films thicker than 35 nm grow with (0001) orientation, a well-defined epitaxial relation with the substrate and a high degree of crystal quality, comparable to the Ru(0001) single crystal. Thinner films of down to 7 nm in thickness, for which relaxation of epitaxial strain is not complete, produce a similar degree of dechanneling. The surface of the films can be prepared in a clean and ordered state in order to allow further epitaxial growth on top.
Highlights
Ruthenium substrates with the (0001) orientation are widely used in research for the growth of a variety of materials, from metals to oxides[1] or graphene[2]
We report on the growth of epitaxial Ru films on single-crystalline Al2O3(0001) substrates by magnetron sputtering and their subsequent systematic characterization using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry of He ions both in random and in channeling conditions
The surface quality of the Ru films was checked by low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) performed inside an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) chamber, where the samples were cleaned in-situ after having been transferred at atmospheric pressure from the growth chamber
Summary
Ruthenium substrates with the (0001) orientation are widely used in research for the growth of a variety of materials, from metals to oxides[1] or graphene[2]. Ruthenium has some interesting characteristics: it can withstand high temperatures, it does not alloy severely with many transition metals and it is relatively difficulty of oxidize (compared to other transition metals) Metals such as Mg3, Cu4, Ag5, Au6, Pd7,8, Co9, Fe, Ni and Rh10 have been grown on Ru(0001). Ruthenium thin metal films are essential for many applications They are used industrially as conducting layers for interconnection in integrated circuits or in magnetic devices. We have fabricated thin Ru films of different thicknesses between 7 nm and 100 nm on Al2O3(0001) by magnetron sputtering and have characterized their structure by means of Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), performed both in random and in channeling geometries This allows us to obtain information both on the crystalline structure of the films and on their thickness and composition, in addition to the structural information that can be obtained by e.g. standard XRD. Results obtained on a Ru(0001) single crystal have been included
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