Surface characterization and electrical resistivity of electroless plating nanocrystalline copper films on glass

Nanocrystalline copper films were prepared on the glass by electroless plating technique. The surface characterization of copper films with different deposition time was studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM) and atomic force microscopy(AFM). The results indicate that the copper films have a(111) texture. A continuous and smooth film forms on the glass substrate at deposition times of 5 min. The surface roughness of as-deposited copper films becomes rougher with large nodules as the deposition time increases. According to Fuchs-Sondheimer(F-S),Mayadas-Shatzkes(M-S) theory and a combined model,the grain boundary reflection coefficient(R) is calculated in the range of 0.40-0.75. The theoretical analysis based on the experimental results show that the grain boundaries contribute mainly to the increase of electrical resistivity of nanocrystalline copper film compared with the film surfaces.