Analytical electron microscopy study of growth mechanism for smoothing of metallic multilayer thin films

Abstract

We have used scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy techniques to study the nature of interfacial interactions in a TaCu Ox stack that give rise to a smooth surface morphology, which can be utilized for seeding thin magnetic multilayer devices. Our measurements reveal that the interfacial smoothing is mainly due to the preferential reaction of Ta with O at the TaCu Ox interface assisted by grain boundary diffusion of oxygen which thereby acts to smooth out the surface roughness created by the large crystalline grains of Cu. © 2006 American Institute of Physics.