EFFECT OF Ar PRESSURE ON STRUCTURAL AND ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF Cu FILMS DEPOSITED ON GLASS BY DC MAGNETRON SPUTTERING

Cu films with thickness of 630-1300nm were deposited on glass substrates without heating by DC magnetron sputtering in pure Ar gas. Ar pressure was controlled to 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5Pa respectively. The target voltage was fixed at 500V but the target current increased from 200 to 1150mA with Ar pressure increasing. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy were used to observe the structural characterization of the films. The resistivity of the films was measured using four-point probe technique. At all the Ar pressures, the Cu films have mixture crystalline orientations of [111], [200] and [220] in the direction of the film growth. The film deposited at lower pressure shows more [111] orientation while that deposited at higher pressure has more [220] orientation. The amount of larger grains in the film prepared at 0.5Pa Ar pressure is slightly less than that prepared at 1.0Pa and 1.5Pa Ar pressures. The resistivities of the films prepared at three different Ar pressures represent few differences, about 3-4 times of that of bulk material. Besides the deposition rate increases with Ar pressure because of the increase in target current. The contribution of the bombardment of energetic reflected Argon atoms to these phenomena is discussed.

Cu Films Deposited by Unbalanced Magnetron Sputtering Enhanced by ICP and External Magnetic Field Confinement

Metallic copper（Cu） films were deposited on a Si （100） substrate by unbalanced magnetron sputtering enhanced by radio-frequency plasma and external magnetic field confinement. The morphology and structure of the films were examined by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, atomic force microscope （AFM） and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. The surface average roughness of the deposited Cu films was characterized by AFM data and resistivity was measured by a four-point probe. The results show that the Cu films deposited with radio-frequency discharge enhanced ionization and external magnetic field confinement have a smooth surface, low surface roughness and low resistivity. The reasons may be that the radio-frequency discharge and external magnetic field enhance the plasma density, which further improves the ion bombardment effect under the same bias voltage conditions. Ion bombardment can obviously influence the growth features and characteristics of the deposited Cu films.

Structural and Electrical Properties of Cu Films by dc Biased Plasma-Sputter-Deposited on MgO(001)

Cu films of30nm and 15 nm thick were deposited on MgO(001) substrates at 185℃ by dc plasma-sputtering at 1.9kv and 8 mA in pure Ar gas. A dc bias voltage Vs, of 0 V or -80 V was applied to the substrate during deposition. Structural and electrical proper-ties have been investigated by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM), high resolution XTEM (XHRTEM) and by measuring temperature coefficient of electrical resistance (TCR;η) in the temperature interval of-135℃ to 0 ℃. The Cu film is pol- ycrystalline at Vs= 0 V while it epitaxially grows with Cu(00 )|| MgO(00 1) and Cu[0 10] || MgO[010] at Vs,=-80 V. However, the latter has a very rough surface. The change of η with film thickness and Vs is interpreted in terms of the structure change. Misfit dislocations and lattice expansion are induced along the MgO surface to relax the strain energy due to the lattice mismatch between Cu and MgO.

THE EFFECTS OF SPUTTERING POWER ON STRUCTURE AND ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF Cu FILMS

Cu films with thickness of about 500nm were deposited on glass substrateswithout heating by DC magnetron sputtering in pure Ar gas of 1.0Pa. The sputtering powers weremaintained at 390V X 0.27A, 430V X 0.70A and 450V X l.04A, and the corresponding deposition rates ofCu film reached 35nm/min, l04nm/min and 167nm/min. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopyand atomic force microscopy were used to observe the structural characteristics of the films. Theresistance of the films was measured using four-point probe technique. The amount of larger grainsincreases and the resistivity of the films decreases evidently with an increase in sputtering power.It is considered that the increase in deposition rate with sputtering power mainly weakens theinfluence of residual gas atoms on the growing film, and increases substrate and gas temperatures,resulting in the increase in grain size and the decrease in resistivity of the Cu film.

Interfacial Electronic Structure of Thin Cu Films Grown on Ar^+-ion Sputter-cleaned α-Al_2O_3 Substrates

The bonding and electronic structure of Cu/(0001)Al2O3 and Cu/(1120)Al2O3 interfaces has been studied experimentally using spatially-resolved transmission electron energy loss spectroscopy. The specimen were prepared by depositing Cu on single-crystal α-AI2O3 substrates, which have been Ar+-ion sputter-cleaned prior to the growth of Cu. For both orientations of the α-Al2O3 substrate, atomically abrupt interfaces formed as determined by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The investigations of the interfacial Cu-L2,3, Al-L2,3 and 0-K energy loss near-edge structures, which are proportional to the site- and angular-momentum-projected unoccupied density of states above the Fermi level, indicate the existence of metallic Cu-AI bonds at the Cu/AI2O3 interface independent of the substrate orientation.

Phase Transformation and Enhancing Electron Field Emission Properties in Microcrystalline Diamond Films Induced by Cu Ion Implantation and Rapid Annealing

Cu ion implantation and subsequent rapid annealing at 500℃ in N2 result in low surface resistivity of 1.611 ohm/sq with high mobility of 290 cm2 V-1S-1 for microcrystalline diamond （MCD） films. Its electrical field emission behavior can be turned on at Eo = 2.6 V/μm, attaining a current density of 19.5μA/cm2 at an applied field of 3.5 V/#m. Field emission scanning electron microscopy combined with Raman and x-ray photoelectron mi- croscopy reveal that the formation of Cu nanoparticles in MCD films can catalytically convert the less conducting disorder/a-C phases into graphitic phases and can provoke the formation of nanographite in the films, forming conduction channels for electron transportation.

NETWORK FRACTAL AND ANNEALING-INDUCED AGGREGATION OF Cu/a-C:H BILAYER FILMS

The Cu/a-C:H bilayer films,grown far from the equilibrium,have the network fractal struc- ture.Their fractal dimension value D_f=1.83.An in-situ dynamic observation of these films under TEM at slowly heating rate revealed that the initial network fractal structure was dam- aged gradually and broken down completely at 535℃.And as the annealing-induced aggregation developed,the random dispersed aggregates formed gradually,the fractal dimen- sion of the new structure decreased with increasing annealing temperature.Finally,D_f=1.63 at 850℃.Based on the surface and interface diffusion model of the metallic atoms,the varia- tion of the structural character could be explained.

GIANT MAGNETO-IMPEDANCE OF PATTERNED FeSiB/Cu/FeSiB TRI-LAYER FILMS

Sensitive magnetic field sensor with good performances can be fabricated utilizing the giant magneto-impedance (GMI) effect of soft magnetic multi-layer thin films. The transverse and longitudinal GMI effect in patterned FeSiB/Cu/FeSiB tri-layer films with the change of external magnetic field and frequency were studied at the same time. The change of the impedance of the films with the external magnetic fieldand frequency was shown. Comparing the longitudinal and transverse effect, the transverse effect has a larger linear range from zero magnetic field to a quite large magnetic field at all frequencies, and the change still were not saturated until the external magnetic field reached 1.2×104A/m, which illustrated that the films can be utilized to detect larger magnetic fields than now presented GMI sensors.

Structure and Magnetic Properties of the γ’-Fe4N Films on Cu Underlayers

The γ＇-Fe4N films on Cu underlayers are deposited on the glass and Si substrates by dc magnetron reactive sputtering. The effects of Cu underlayer on the structure, morphology and magnetic properties of the γ＇-Fe4N films are studied. The single-phase γ＇-Fe4N films with Cu underlayers on the glass substrate are obtained, while the mixture of Fe and γ＇-Fe4N is observed on the Si substrate. In comparison with the films without Cu underlayers, the grains of the films with Cu underlayers exhibit a non-uniform size distribution and give rise to a rougher surface. The magnetic measurements indicate that the γ＇-Fe4N films show a good soft ferromagnetic behavior. The enhanced coercivity in the films with Cu underlayers is observed due to the deterioration of the crystallographic structure as well as the rougher surface.

Optical and electrical characterizations of nanoparticle Cu_2S thin films

Copper sulfide thin films are deposited onto different substrates at room temperature using the thermal evaporation technique. X-ray diffraction spectra show that the film has an orthorhombicchalcocite （7-Cu2S） phase. The atomic force microscopy images indicate that the film exhibits nanoparticles with an average size of nearly 44 nm. Specrtophotometric measurements for the transmittance and reflectance are carried out at normal incidence in a spectral wavelength range of 450 nm-2500 nm. The refractive index, n, as well as the absorption index, k is calculated. Some dispersion parameters are determined. The analyses of el and e2 reveal several absorption peaks. The analysis of the spectral behavior of the absorption coefficient, c~, in the absorption region reveals direct and indirect allowed transitions. The dark electrical resistivity is studied as a function of film thickness and temperature. Tellier＇s model is adopted for determining the mean free path and bulk resistance.

Effect of thermal pretreatment of metal precursor on the properties of Cu_2ZnSnS_4 films

Zn/Sn/Cu （CZT） stacks were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering. The stacks were pretreated at different tem- peratures （200℃, 300 ℃, 350 ℃, and 400 ℃） for 0.5 h and then followed by sulfurization at 500℃ for 2 h. Then, the structures, morphologies, and optical properties of the as-obtained Cu2ZnSnS4 （CZTS） films were studied by x-ray diffraction （XRD）, Raman spectroscopy, UV-Vis-NIR, scanning electron microscope （SEM）, and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy （EDX）. The XRD and Raman spectroscopy results indicated that the sample pretreated at 350℃ had no secondary phase and good crystallization. At the same time, SEM confirmed that it had large and dense grains. According to the UV-Vis-NIR spectrum, the sample had an absorption coefficient larger than 10^4 cm-1 in the visible light range and a band gap close to 1.5 eV.

Strongly enhanced flux pinning in the YBa_2Cu_3O_(7-X) films with the co-doping of Ba TiO_3 nanorod and Y_2O_3 nanoparticles at 65 K

YBa2Cu3O7-x（YBCO） films with co-doping BaTiO3（BTO） and Y2O3 nanostructures were prepared by metal organic deposition using trifluoroacetates（TFA-MOD）. The properties of the BTO/Y2O3co-doped YBCO films with different excess yttrium have been systematically studied by x-ray diffraction（XRD）, Raman spectra, and scanning electron microscope（SEM）. The optimized content of yttrium excess in the BTO/Y2O3co-doped YBCO films is 10 mol.%, and the critical current density is as high as - 17 mA/cm^2（self-field, 65 K） by the magnetic signal. In addition, the Y2Cu2O5 was formed when the content of yttrium excess increases to 24 mol.%, which may result in the deterioration of the superconducting properties and the microstructure. The unique combination of the different types of nanostructures of BTO and Y2O3 in the doped YBCO films, compared with the pure YBCO films and BTO doped YBCO films, enhances the critical current density（JC） not only at the self-magnetic field, but also in the applied magnetic field.

Magnetic Properties of NiCuZn Ferrite Thin Films Prepared by the Sol-gel Method

Ni0.4Cu0.2Zn0.4Fe2O4 thin films were fabricated on Si substrates by using the sol-gel method and rapid thermal annealing （RTA）, and their magnetic properties and crystalline structures were investigated. The samples calcined at and above 600 ℃ have a single-phase spinel structure and the average grain size of the sample calcined at 600 ℃ is about 20 nm. The initial permeability μi, saturation magnetization M and coercivity H of the samples increase with the increasing calcination temperature. The sample calcined at 600 ℃ exhibits an excellent soft magnetic performance, which has μi=33.97 （10 MHz）, Hc=15.62 Oe and Ms=228.877 emu/cm^3. Low-temperature annealing can enhance the magnetic properties of the samples. The work shows that using the sol-gel method in conjunction with RTA is a promising way to fabricate integrated thin-film devices.

Room-temperature ferromagnetism induced by Cu vacancies in Cu_x(Cu_2O)_(1-x) granular films

Cux（Cu2O）1-x（0.09 x 1.00） granular films with thickness about 280 nm have been fabricated by direct current reactive magnetron sputtering. The atomic ratio x can be controlled by the oxygen flow rate during Cux（Cu2O）1-x deposition. Room-temperature ferromagnetism（FM） is found in all of the samples. The saturated magnetization increases at first and then decreases with the decrease of x. The photoluminescence spectra show that the magnetization is closely correlated with the Cu vacancies in the Cux（Cu2O）1-x granular films. Fundamentally, the FM could be understood by the Stoner model based on the charge transfer mechanism. These results may provide solid evidence and physical insights on the origin of FM in the Cu2O-based oxides diluted magnetic semiconductors, especially for systems without intentional magnetic atom doping.

Compensating the impurities on the Cu surface by MOFs for enhanced hydrocarbon production in the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide

Copper(Cu)provides a cost-effective means of producing value-added fuels through the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide(CO_(2)RR).However,we observed the production of hydrocarbons via CO_(2)RR on commercial Cu films is less efficient because of the surface impurities,i.e.,Fe.Carbon monoxide(CO),a reaction intermediate of CO_(2)RR to hydrocarbons,binds strongly to the Fe sites and interrupts the production of hydrocarbons,resulting in an active hydrogen evolution reaction(HER).Herein,we report a method of blocking the effect of Fe impurities on the Cu surface through the preferential growth of nano-sized metal-organic frameworks(MOFs)on Fe site.When zirconium(Zr)-based MOFs(UiO-66)forms a compensating layer on Cu film via the terephthalic acid(TPA)-Fe coordination bond,the Ui O-66 coated Cu film(UiO-66@Cu)presents significantly improved hydrocarbon Faradaic efficiency(FE)of 37.59%compared to 14.68%FE on commercial Cu film(99.9%purity)by suppressing HER.According to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS)analysis,the UiO-66 ligand binds to entire metallic Fe site on the Cu surface,while metallic Cu is retained.Thus,UiO-66@Cu provides active sites of Cu for CO_(2)RR and leads to highly efficient and selective production of hydrocarbons.

Improvement of Joint Strength of SiCp/Al Metal Matrix Composite in Transient Liquid Phase Bonding Using Cu/Ni/Cu Film Interlayer

The compact oxide on the surface of SiCp/Al metal matrix composite （SiCp/Al MMC） greatly depends on the property of the joint. Inlaid sputtering target was applied to etch the oxide completely on the bonding surface of SiCp/Al MMC by plasma erosion. Cu/Ni/Cu film of 5μm in thickness was prepared by magnetron sputtering method on the clean bonding surface in the same vacuum chamber, which was acted as an interlayer in transient liquid phase （TLP） bonding process. Compared with the same thickness of single Cu foil and Ni foil interlayer, the shear strength of 200 MPa was obtained using Cu/Ni/Cu film interlayer during TLP bonding, which was 89.7% that of base metal. In addition, homogenization of the bonding region and no particle segregation in interfacial region were found by analysis of the joint microstructure. Scanning electron microscopy （SEM） was used to observe the micrograph of the joint interface. The result shows that a homogenous microstructure of joint was achieved, which is similar with that of based metal.

Deposition of Cu seed layer film by supercritical fluid deposition for advanced interconnects

The deposition of a Cu seed layer film is investigated by supercritical fluid deposition （SCFD） using H2 as a reducing agent for Bis（2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5- heptanedionato） copper in supercritical CO2 （scCO2）. The effects of deposition temperature, precursor, and H2 concentration are investigated to optimize Cu deposition. Continuous metallic Cu films are deposited on Ru substrates at 190 ℃ when a 0.002 mol/L Cu precursor is introduced with 0.75 mol/L H2. A Cu precursor concentration higher than 0.002 mol/L is found to have negative effects on the surface qualities of Cu films. For a H2 concentration above 0.56 mol/L, the root-mean-square （RMS） roughness of a Cu film decreases as the H2 concentration increases. Finally, a 20-nm thick Cu film with a smooth surface, which is required as a seed layer in advanced interconnects, is successfully deposited at a high H2 concentration （0.75 tool/L）.

Effect of N_2-Gas Partial Pressure on the Structure and Properties of Copper Nitride Films by DC Reactive Magnetron Sputtering

Copper nitride thin films were deposited on glass substrates by reactive direct current （DC） magnetron sputtering at various N2-gas partial pressures and room temperature. Xray diffraction measurements showed that the films were composed of Cu3N crystallites and exhibited a preferential orientation of the [111] direction at a low nitrogen gas （N2） partial pressure. The film growth preferred the [111] and the [100] direction at a high N2 partial pressure. Such preferential film growth is interpreted as being due to the variation in the Copper （Cu） nitrification rate with the N2 pressure. The N2 partial pressure affects not only the crystal structure of the film but also the deposition rate and the resistivity of the Cu3N film. In our experiment, the deposition rate of Cu3N films was 18 nm/min to 30 nm/min and increased with the N2 partial pressure. The resistivity of the Cu3N films increased sharply with the increasing N2 partial pressure. At a low N2 partial pressure, the Cu3N films showed a metallic conduction mechanism through the Cu path, and at a high N2 partial pressure, the conductivity of the Cu3N films showed a semiconductor conduction mechanism.

Fabrication of Stable Superhydrophobic Cupric Hydroxide Surface with Hierarchical Structure on Copper Substrate

Cupric hydroxide films with a new hierarchical architecture consisting of beautiful nanotubes and nanoflowers were directly fabricated on copper substrate via a solution-immersion process at a constant temperature of 23 ℃. Stable superhydrophobic Cu（OH）2 surface was obtained after Cu（OH）2 films were modified with hydrolyzed 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctyltrichlorosilane （CsH4CI3F13Si, FOTMS）. The surface morphology and composition of the film were studied using scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）, respectively. Result shows that the surface of Cu（OH）2 films directly grown on copper substrate was hydrophilic, whereas the modified Cu（OH）2 films exhibited the superhydrophobicity with a water contact angle （CA） of about 160.8°, as well as a small sliding angle （SA） of about 1°. The special hierarchical structure, along with the slow surface energy leads to the high superhydrophobicity of the surface.

Effects of thickness on superconducting properties and structures of Y_2O_3/BZO-doped MOD-YBCO films

We report the thickness dependence of critical current density （Jc） in YBa2Cu3O7-x （YBCO） films with BaZrO3 （BZO） and Y2O3 additions grown on single crystal LaAlO3 substrates by metalorganic deposition using trifluoroacetates （TFA-MOD）. Comparing with pttre YBCO films, the Jc of BZO/Y2O3-doped YBCO films was significantly enhanced. It was also found that with the increase of the thickness of YBCO film from 0.25 μm to 1.5 μm, the Ic of BZO/Y2O3-doped YBCO film increased from 130 A/cm to 250 A/cm and yet Jc of YBCO film decreased from 6.5 MA/cm2 to 2.5 M A/cm2. The thick BZO/Y2O3-doped MOD-YBCO film showed lower Jc, which is mainly attributed to the formation of a-axis grains and pores.