Strain dependent stabilization of metallic paramagnetic state in epitaxial NdNiO3 thin films Appl. Phys. Lett. 101, 132101 (2012) Residual stresses and clamped thermal expansion in LiNbO3 and LiTaO3 thin films Appl. Phys. Lett. 101, 122902 (2012) Tribological properties of nanocrystalline diamond films deposited by hot filament chemical vapor deposition AIP Advances 2, 032164 (2012) The combined effect of surface roughness and internal stresses on nanoindentation tests of polysilicon thin films Silicon dioxide thin films have been prepared by electron-gun evaporation under various deposition conditions. The residual stresses in SiOa films were determined by measurements of the radius of curvature of Si and Ge substrates. The composition and density of films were deduced from Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy and elastic recoil detection analyses. The films were found to be stoichiometric (Si/O=1/2) under the deposition conditions investigated. The compressive residual stresses in films deposited at the base pressure (2X 10e5 mbar) varied from -20 to -550 MPa as the substrate temperature increased from 20 to 285 "C. At a substrate temperature of 200 "C, the residual stresses varied from $70 to -180 MPa with decreasing oxygen pressure in the deposition chamber. The contribution of three types of stresses, namely thermal, intrinsic, and water-induced stresses, can be distinguished. The stress component resulting from the absorption of water molecules in porous SiO, films was obtained from variation of residual stresses caused by the changeover of samples from air to vacuum. The level of this stress component was dependent on the density of films. An evolution of residual stresses from compressive to tensile with time of sample storage in a conventional clean-room environment was measured for all evaporated SiOZ films investigated in this study. In addition, the hydrogen content in films increased progressively with increasing aging time in air. The kinetics of this stress evolution was considerably reduced when the films were stored in vacuum. The origin of residual stresses and the stress aging mechanism are discussed. 0 1995 American Institute of Physics.

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Tungsten films have been deposited selectively on oxide‐patterned silicon wafers by the H2 reduction of WF6 in WF6‐H2 and WF6‐H2‐normalAr gas flow systems. The deposition rate of films was investigated as a function of reactant partial pressures. The reaction orders with respect to WF6 and H2 are zero and one‐half, respectively. Under given experimental conditions, the growth rate of the selectively deposited W films was reduced by 32% when the deposition area increased by a factor of 10–100. This decrease in growth rate can be attributed to the effect of HF on the surface reaction. The selective nature of the process deteriorates with increasing deposition rate, WF6 partial pressure, H2 partial pressure, or deposition time. The loss of selectivity seems to be linked to an increase in HF partial pressure in the reactor.

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Silver thin films have been deposited on various substrates at floating potentials by radio frequency magnetron sputtering of a silver target in pure argon plasma using load-locked sputtering equipment. Under the experimental conditions investigated, the deposition rate of silver films was about 70 nm/min so that metal films as thin as 200 nm could be deposited within easily controllable deposition durations. Film surfaces and cross sections were examined by scanning electron microscopy. The morphology was fully dense. The crystallographic structure was investigated by x-ray diffraction. The grains were preferentially oriented with the (111) lattice planes parallel to the film surface and without preferred azimuthal orientation. The films analyzed by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy were free of detectable impurities. The residual stresses were determined to be tensile from the measurements of the curvature radius of silicon substrates. The calculated value of the thermal stress showed that the intrinsic stress in the films was compressive. The effective Knoop hardness of 2-μm-thick silver films deposited on glass substrates was in the range 1600–1800 MPa, i.e., three times higher than the hardness of the bulk metal. Pure silver films exhibited an electrical resistivity of 1.5–2 μΩ cm, nearly equal to the bulk resistivity.

Magnesium fluoride films have been deposited on quartz and silicon substrates by direct electron beam evaporation. The structure, composition, and mass density of films were investigated as functions of the deposition temperature ranging from ambient temperature to 300 °C. The composition of films determined by infrared spectroscopy, and the residual stresses in films calculated from the change of the radius of curvature of Si substrates, were studied as functions of the aging time of films in room air and deposition temperature. The aging behavior is analyzed and discussed in connection with the microstructure and mass density of films.