AVS 52nd International Symposium
    Thin Films Wednesday Sessions
       Session TF-WeM

Paper TF-WeM6
Microstructure and Stress of Room Temperature Reactively Sputtered RuOx Thin Films

Wednesday, November 2, 2005, 10:00 am, Room 306

Session: Mechanical and Tribological Properties of Thin Films
Presenter: T.M. Klein, The University of Alabama
Authors: J. Shi, The University of Alabama
T.M. Klein, The University of Alabama
Correspondent: Click to Email
RuOx thin films were deposited at room temperature by reactive RF magnetron-sputtering using Ar/O2 discharges of varying O2 flow ratio (O2/Ar+O2) over the range 10% to 50%. With an increase of O2, the film texture changed from (110) to (101). Films deposited with a flow ratio >25% were determined stoichiometric. Apparent grain sizes, densities and hardnesses by nanoindentation were measured as a function of flow ratio. Deposition rate, resistivity and intrinsic stress trends with O2 flow ratio were similar. The intrinsic stresses in as-deposited films were all compressive and increased with addition of O2, except for the film sputtered at a flow ratio of 20% which was in biaxial tension. Stress-temperature behavior during a thermal cycle in air up to 500ºC changed for films deposited at different flow ratios due to varying microstructure evolution. The film deposited at a flow ratio of 30% became nearly stress-free with a low resistivity value of 68 micro Ohm-cm after anneal which is promising for use in micro-devices.