EPVD: Effect of changing the Thin-film Metal deposition Rate

[lamejane]

TL;DR Summary

Deposition rate reduction for Nickel- Microscopic effects

Hello Material experts out there !

I would like to test a reduced deposition rate for Ni ( 0.3 nm/sec reduced to 0.1 nm/sec) to avoid metal splashes and stabilize the process. This would for sure increase the deposition process time but I'm not quite sure of the Microscopic effects of such a change. Therefore a deeper insight ( scientific) would be helpful.

Questions:
What effect would a reduction in the deposition rate of Ni have on:

a. Crystal structure and Internal stress of deposited Ni thin film ?.
b. Adhesion of Ni thin-Film to suceeding layer ? (please refer to the schematic below)
c. Surface Roughness of Ni-thin film ?
d. Electrical and Thermal properties of the thin-film. ?

Thank you for your Inputs !

 

[Lord Jestocost]

With regards to the electrical properties:

When reducing the deposition rate, the contamination of the growing film owing to the inclusion of or the reaction with residual gases in the vacuum chamber generally increases.

With regards to the morphology/microstructure:

Generally, for example, the roughness of the deposited films will decrease with decresing deposition rate. Some qualitative characteristics regarding the effect of the deposition rate on the morphology/microstructure of thin films can be found in [1]. Whether such effects play a role when changing the deposition rate from 0.3 to 0.1 nm/sec under your deposition conditions must be experimentally checked.

[1] “A Monte Carlo simulation of the physical vapor deposition of nickel” by Y.G.Yang, R.A.Johnson and H.N.G.Wadley (Acta Materialia, Volume 45, Issue 4, April 1997, Pages 1455-1468)