Electron microscopic study of sputter-deposited Ir films

• Published in: Journal of materials science 2004-10, Vol.39 (20), p.6215-6219
• Main Authors: ECHIGOYA, J, MUMTAZ, K, HAYASAKA, Y, AOYAGI, E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Columnar structure; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Deposition by sputtering; Exact sciences and technology; Grain boundaries; Iridium; Materials science; Metals. Metallurgy; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Physics; Preferred orientation; Structure and morphology; thickness; Substrates; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thin film structure and morphology; Twin boundaries
• ISSN: 0022-2461; 1573-4803
• DOI: 10.1023/B:JMSC.0000043589.23138.b6

The microstructural development of iridium (Ir) film deposited on isotropic graphite by a sputtering method was investigated using a transmission electron microscope. A columnar structure was developed in which the diameters of columnar grains were distributed from 3 to 50 nm at the substrate temperature of 330 K. Directions of grains were almost perpendicular to the substrate surface, and grain boundaries were wavy. Grains forming the columnar structure indicated different orientations of a growth direction, though growth orientations of grains showed the weak preferred orientation of a [111] direction. Non coincident related boundaries, as well as low angle grain boundaries and twin boundaries tend to be observed more frequently than coincidence lattice related boundaries.