Metal–organic chemical vapour deposition of thin films of cobalt on different substrates: study of microstructure

• Published in: Thin solid films 2002-06, Vol.413 (1), p.8-15
• Main Authors: Paranjape, Mandar A, Mane, Anil U, Raychaudhuri, A.K, Shalini, K, Shivashankar, S.A, Chakravarty, B.R
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chemical vapor deposition (including plasma-enhanced cvd, mocvd, etc.); Cobalt; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Metals. Metallurgy; Metal–organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD); Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Physics; Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS); Structure and morphology; thickness; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thin film structure and morphology; Thin films
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/S0040-6090(02)00446-7

We have investigated the microstructure of thin films grown by metal–organic chemical vapour deposition using a β-diketonate complex of cobalt, namely cobalt (II) acetylacetonate. Films were deposited on three different substrates: Si(100), thermally oxidised silicon [SiO 2/Si(100)] and glass at the same time. As-grown films were characterised by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, scanning tunnelling microscopy, atomic force microscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry. Electrical resistivity was measured for all the films as a function of temperature. We found that films have very fine grains, resulting in high electrical resistivity. Further, film microstructure has a strong dependence on the nature of the substrate and there is diffusion of silicon and oxygen into cobalt from the substrate.