Stress and property control in sputtered metal films without substrate bias

Abstract

Previous investigations of sputtered metal and silicon films have revealed that deposit characteristics commonly associated with bias sputtering, such as low resistivity and compressive internal stress, can also be obtained without substrate bias under certain conditions such as a low pressure of the working gas. More recently it was found that increased rates of sputtering raise the pressure threshold below which these benefits are attained. The present investigation extends these observations for a variety of discharge geometries, and for other film properties. Measurements of substrate heating rates and inert gas entrapment are also examined to assess the possibility that momentum transfer is the mechanism controlling the modification of properties. © 1983.