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The dependence of the nanostructure of magnetron sputtered Cu–Ag alloy films on composition and temperature

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2011

K. Pagh Almtoft ,
A.M. Ejsing ,
J. Bøttiger ,
J. Chevallier ,
N. Schell  and
R.M.S. Martins
K. Pagh Almtoft
Affiliation:
Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Aarhus, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
A.M. Ejsing
Affiliation:
Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Aarhus, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
J. Bøttiger*
Affiliation:
Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Aarhus, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
J. Chevallier
Affiliation:
Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Aarhus, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
N. Schell
Affiliation:
Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Forschungszentrum Rossendorf, D-01314 Dresden, Germany
R.M.S. Martins
Affiliation:
Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Forschungszentrum Rossendorf, D-01314 Dresden, Germany
*
a) Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: bottiger@phys.au.dk
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Abstract

Cu–Ag alloy films prepared by magnetron cosputtering were characterized by using x-ray diffraction. A two-phase nanocrystalline structure of Cu grains supersaturated with Ag and Ag grains saturated with Cu was always observed. When alloying Ag with Cu or Cu with Ag, the grain sizes decreased dramatically, and the supersaturation increased with the amount of the alloying element. On annealing, the grain sizes of the Cu–Ag films increased and the solubilities decreased. To shed light on the mechanisms in play during the phase formation and subsequent phase changes, additional in situ real-time measurements were carried out using a high-intensity x-ray beam from the synchrotron at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble, France. Based on the experimental findings, the phase formation and the subsequent changes during annealing are discussed.

Keywords

NanostructureSputteringX-ray diffraction (XRD)
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 22 , Issue 4 , April 2007 , pp. 1018 - 1023
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2007

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References

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