Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-30T21:06:27.686Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Formation threshold and structural evolution of molybdenum nanocrystals with sputtering pressure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

G. M. Chow*
Affiliation:
Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375
C. L. Chien
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
A. S. Edelstein
Affiliation:
Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375
*
a)Research Associate of the National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences.
Get access

Abstract

The evolution of the size and shape of molybdenum nanocrystals fabricated by sputtering in a thermal gradient has been studied as a function of the argon gas pressure, p. For 4 < p < 100 mTorr, continuous Mo films are deposited. At p = 150 mTorr, isolated and well-faceted Mo nanocrystals of two sizes (20 and 5 nm average size) are formed. For 200 ≤ p ≤ 400 mTorr, the particle size decreases with increasing pressure and is about 7 nm at 400 mTorr. On increasing p further, larger particles start to form and at p = 700 mTorr, particle agglomerates are observed. Possible mechanisms leading to these results are suggested.

Type
Materials Communications
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1991

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1Thornton, John A. and Hoffman, D. W., Thin Solid Films 171, 5 (1989).Google Scholar
2Hahn, H. and Averback, R. S., J. Appl. Phys. 67, 1113 (1990).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3Chow, G. M., Holtz, R. L., Pattnaik, A., Edelstein, A. S., Schlesinger, T. E., and Cammarata, R. C., Appl. Phys. Lett. 56, 1853 (1990).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4Movchan, B. A. and Demchishin, A. V., Phys. Met. Metallogr. 28, 83 (1969).Google Scholar
5Ecker, G. and Emeleus, K. G., Proc. Phys. Soc. London 67B, 546 (1954).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6Meyer, Kevin, Schuller, Ivan K., and Falco, Charles M., J. Appl. Phys. 52, 5803 (1981).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7Thölén, A. R., Acta Metall. 27, 1765 (1979).Google Scholar
8Granqvist, C. G. and Buhrman, R. A., J. Appl. Phys. 47, 2200 (1976).CrossRefGoogle Scholar