Effect of preparation conditions on the diffusion parameters of Cu/Ni thin films

Diffusion coefficients of vacuum-deposited Cu/Ni bilayer thin films were determined in the temperature range 200 – 500 °C using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, sheet resistance measurements, and X-ray diffraction analysis. The difference between the results of the present work and those of previous relevant investigations may be attributed to the difference in the film microstructure, which is controlled by the preparation conditions. Therefore, the effects of deposition rate, substrate temperature, film thickness, and substrate structure on the diffusion parameters were separately investigated. It is shown that the diffusion activation energy (Q) decreases as deposition rate increases, whereas Q increases as substrate temperature and film thickness increase. The value of Q for films deposited on amorphous substrates is less than that for films deposited on single-crystal substrates.