Metal incorporation in sputter-deposited MoS2 films studied by extended x-ray absorption fine structure

Solid lubricant films produced by cosputtering metals with MoS{sub 2} and by forming metal/MoS{sub 2} multilayers are being planned for use in the next generation of solid lubricated devices on spacecraft, including gimbal and sensor bearings, actuators, and sliding electrical contacts. The films exhibit increased densities and wear lives compared to films without additives, but the mechanism of density enhancement is not well understood. The extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) technique is ideal for elucidating the structure of these poorly crystalline films. We analyzed MoS{sub 2} films cosputtered with 0, 2, and 10% Ni, as well as Ni/MoS{sub 2} and Au(Pd)/MoS{sub 2} multilayer films. The results obtained at the Mo-K absorption edge showed that the metal-containing films comprised predominantly the same nanocrystalline phases present in similar films without added metals: pure MoS{sub 2} and a MoS{sub 2{minus}{ital x}}O{sub {ital x}} phase. MoS{sub 2{minus}{ital x}}O{sub {ital x}} is isostructural with MoS{sub 2}, with O atoms substituting for S atoms in the MoS{sub 2} crystal lattice. For all Ni-containing films, EXAFS data obtained at the Ni--K absorption edge showed that the Ni had not chemically reacted with the MoS{sub 2{minus}{ital x}}O{sub {ital x}} and MoS{sub 2}, but formed a disordered NiO{sub more » {ital x}} phase. However, Ni-cosputtered films showed decreasing Mo--Mo bond lengths in the MoS{sub 2{minus}{ital x}}O{sub {ital x}} phase with increasing Ni content, probably due to preferential oxidation of Ni compared to MoS{sub 2}. EXAFS of these Ni-cosputtered films showed only a small decrease in short-range order with Ni content, while x-ray diffraction showed a concurrent large decrease in long-range order. The results indicate that film densification in Ni-cosputtered films is caused by NiO{sub {ital x}} formation at the edges of nucleating MoS{sub 2{minus}{ital x}}O{sub {ital x}} /MoS{sub 2} crystallites. « less