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Reactive Sputtering of Nanostructured WCx

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2011

Abdul K Rumaiz ,
S. Ismat Shah ,
C. Ni ,
J. Derek Demaree  and
J. K. Hirvonen
Abdul K Rumaiz
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716.
S. Ismat Shah
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716.
C. Ni
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716.
J. Derek Demaree
Affiliation:
US Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD.
J. K. Hirvonen
Affiliation:
US Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD.
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Abstract

Nanostructured WCx thin films were reactively sputtered in argon-methane plasma. A DC planar magnetron with a pure tungsten target was used. Films were deposited on glass, quartz, silicon and sapphire substrates at temperatures up to 700 °C. The carbon content in the film was varied by changing the partial pressure of methane. The carbon content in the films was analyzed by using X-ray Photon Spectroscopy (XPS) and Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy (RBS).

The effect of temperature on the grain size was studied using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The target poisoning behavior was studied by measuring the target current. The critical methane concentration at which the metal – poison mode transition occurs was measured to be around 42% of CH4 in Ar. This transition is characterized by a sharp fall in the target current. The hysteresis in the target current can also be attributed to target poisoning. In this paper we describe the effects of film growth parameters on the film composition. We also discuss an alternate sputtering technique, hollow cathode sputtering, and the advantages of this technique over the conventional planar magnetron technique.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 750: Symposium Y – Surface Engineering 2002–Synthesis, Characterization and Applications , 2002 , Y5.14
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2003

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