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On the thermal stability of physical vapor deposited oxide-hardened nanocrystalline gold thin films

Journal of Applied Physics

Argibay, Nicolas; Mogonye, J.E.; Michael, Joseph R.; Goeke, Ronald S.; Kotula, Paul G.; Scharf, T.W.; Dugger, Michael T.; Prasad, Somuri V.

We describe a correlation between electrical resistivity and grain size for PVD synthesized polycrystalline oxide-hardened metal-matrix thin films in oxide-dilute (<5 vol. % oxide phase) compositions. The correlation is based on the Mayadas-Shatzkes (M-S) electron scattering model, predictive of grain size evolution as a function of composition in the oxide-dilute regime for 2 μm thick Au-ZnO films. We describe a technique to investigate grain boundary (GB) mobility and the thermal stability of GBs based on in situelectrical resistivity measurements during annealing experiments, interpreted using a combination of the M-S model and the Michels et al. model describing solute drag stabilized grain growth kinetics. Using this technique, activation energy and pre-exponential Arrhenius parameter values of Ea = 21.6 kJ/mol and Ao = 2.3 × 10-17 m2/s for Au-1 vol. % ZnO and Ea =12.7 kJ/mol and Ao = 3.1 × 10-18 m2/s for Au-2 vol.% ZnO were determined. In the oxide-dilute regime, the grain size reduction of the Au matrix yielded a maximum hardness of 2.6 GPa for 5 vol. % ZnO. A combined model including percolation behavior and grain refinement is presented that accurately describes the composition dependent change in electrical resistivity throughout the entire composition range for Au-ZnO thin films. As a result, the proposed correlations are supported by microstructural characterization using transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction mapping for grain size determination.

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TYPE Journal Article YEAR 2015
DOIOSTI
Results 51–75 of 199
Results 51–75 of 199
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