SILVER THIN-FILMS DEPOSITED BY MAGNETRON SPUTTERING

Silver thin films have been deposited on various substrates by d.c. and r.f. sputtering from a silver magnetron target and argon plasma. The deposition rate of metal films was investigated as a function of the sputtering power, argon pressure and r.f. bias voltage applied to substrates. The structure of sputter-deposited films was analysed by the X-ray diffraction technique. The composition of films was determined by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. The morphology of the cross-sections of films was examined by scanning electron microscopy. Very low tensile residual stresses in these silver films were measured from the change in the radius of the curvature of silicon substrates induced by the films. The Knoop hardness and electrical resistivity of films determined by four-point probe measurements were investigated as functions of the sputtering gas pressure. The properties of silver films produced by d.c. and r.f. sputtering of the silver magnetron target are discussed and compared in this paper.