EVAPORATION OF LOW-VAPOR PRESSURE METALS USING A CONVENTIONAL MINI ELECTRON BEAM EVAPORATOR

In this article, the evaporation of niobium, ruthenium, and titanium using a conventional mini electron-beam evaporator (Tectrae-flux) is described. These metals require high temperatures for evaporation due to their high melting points, low vapor pressures, and large bond energies between atoms. Usually, a high-power electron-beam evaporator with a power exceeding 600 W is used in order to grow films of these metals. However, evaporation conditions for deposition using a mini electron-beam evaporator of low power (600 W at 2 kV) were obtained. Film thicknesses between 2 nm and 12 nm were obtained and the films were characterized with different analytical techniques. In the case of ruthenium, a comparison between the evaporation achieved when using a graphite crucible or a metal rod as a target is presented. The quality of the deposited films was ascertained by Auger electron spectroscopy. Niobium and titanium film's thickness and quality were determined by X-ray reflectivity and atomic force microscopy. ...