1 research outputs found
Effects of Oxygen Incorporation on the Physical Properties of Amorphous Metal Thin Films
Incorporated
oxygen is known to affect amorphous metal thin film
(AMTF) mechanical properties, but comparatively little is known about
how it affects their structural characteristics and electrical transport
properties. In this study, AMTFs are produced by using sputter deposition.
Chemical composition, average interatomic spacing, surface roughness,
and electrical transport properties are examined using electron probe
microanalysis (EPMA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy
(AFM), spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), and variable-temperature resistivity.
ZrCuAlNi amorphous metal thin films exhibit a temperature dependence
that is characteristic of <i>d</i>-electron conduction and
electrical resistivity that increases substantially with increasing
oxygen content. TiAl and ZrCuB are found to be <i>sp</i>-electron conductors with electrical resistivity that decreases with
increasing oxygen content. The surface roughness of all films increases
with oxygen content, whereas interatomic spacing is relatively insensitive
to incorporated oxygen content. The relationships among amorphous
metal composition, structural characteristics, and electrical transport
properties are discussed