Resistivity–temperature behavior of dilute Cu(Ir) and Cu(W) alloy films

The resistivities of as-deposited Cu(4.2Ir), Cu(2.0W), and Cu(2.2W) films are 32.2, 25.4, and 28.0 μΩcm, respectively. These resistivities are significantly higher thanthat for pure Cu films. After annealing the Cu(4.2Ir) film at constant heating rate to 800 °C and the two Cu(W) films to 950 °C, the resistivities reduce to 28.4, 4.3, and 5.2 μΩcm, respectively. The smaller reduction in resistivity for Cu(4.2Ir) compared with that for Cu(W) is partly a consequence of solute redissolution following precipitation. The variation of resistivity with temperature for the films and the Cu-rich end of the binary phase diagrams are used to categorize the decomposition behavior of the Cu(Ir) and Cu(W). These categories were defined by K. Barmak et al., J. Appl. Phys. 87, 2204 (2000). W is placed in category III along with V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, Re, Ru, Os, B, and C. Ir most suitably belongs to Category II together with Fe and Co.