Title: Effect of impurities on intrinsic stress in thin Ni films
Abstract: Intrinsic stress has been investigated in thin nickel films, ∠1000 Å thick, deposited at approximately 25 Å/s in an UHV system equipped with a variable leak valve. The residual gas pressure during deposition could be varied from 10−4 to 10−6 Pa. The cantilevered beam technique was used for measuring the film force per unit width as a function of film thickness. A new method, based on single slit diffraction, was developed for observing the substrate deflection. The stresses were tensile, and the average values decreased from 9.3×109 dynes/cm3 with 5.4 at.% total impurities, to 4.2×109 dynes/cm2 with 10.1 at.% impurities. The film impurity concentrations, determined from AES depth‐profile data, showed a correlation with the incremental stress as a function of film thickness. The major impurities were O and W from the evaporation filament, rather than the residual gasses, and film impurity content increased with filament outgassing time and power prior to evaporation. The films were examined with electron microscopy and were found to be polycrystalline, with ∠100–500‐Å grain diameters.
Publication Year: 1976
Publication Date: 1976-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 40
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