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Probing Stress State and Phase Content in Ultra-Thin Ta Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

J. F. Whitacre
Affiliation:
Center for Nanomaterials Science, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI 48109
Z. U. Rek
Affiliation:
Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94309
S. M. Yalisove
Affiliation:
Center for Nanomaterials Science, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI 48109
J. C. Bilello
Affiliation:
Center for Nanomaterials Science, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI 48109
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Abstract

Ta films 25Å to 200Å in thickness were sputter-deposited using different sputter gas (Ar) pressures and cathode power settings. The average in-plane stresses were determined using double crystal diffraction topography (DCDT). X-ray analysis (using the grazing incidence x-ray scattering (GIXS) geometry) was performed using a synchrotron light source. To study microstructure and phase content, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and transmission electron diffraction (TED) were used. Well resolved x-ray patterns were collected for all of the films. The DCDT stress data was found to be consistent with stress effects evident in the GIXS data. In general, residual stress state was not strongly dependent upon Ar pressure. The strongest evidence of amorphous content was found in both x-ray and TED data taken from 25Å thick films deposited using 2mTorr Ar pressure and 460 W cathode power. These results show that it is possible to create and study ultra-thin Ta films which posses a range of residual stresses and phase compositions.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1998

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References

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