Microstructural analysis and electrical behaviours of co-sputtered W–Ag thin films with a tilted columnar architecture

Abstract W–Ag thin films are produced by magnetron co-sputtering technique using glancing angle co-deposition configuration. Different samples are prepared with similar conditions (same pressure, thickness and tungsten target current) but with a variable Ag target current changing from 0 to 80 mA. The effect of the Ag target current on the film structure and electrical properties is investigated using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction and van der Pauw technique. Thin films with inclined columns are obtained and the columns section becomes more anisotropic for the films prepared with the lowest Ag target currents. The elemental composition of the films also changes as a function of the Ag target current, varying from tungsten-rich (at low current) to homogeneous (at high current). W–Ag thin films exhibit different crystallographic structures. If the fcc Ag phase is always present, the metastable A15 β -W is pointed out only at low Ag target current while at high current, only the bcc α -W phase is present. The microstructural analysis shows that the core of the columns is formed by W while Ag covers the columns as grains. Room temperature electrical resistivity decreases with Ag target current, whereas its anisotropy decreases. This behaviour correlates with the change in the columnar cross-section morphology.