Publication Date

1998

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Degree Name

M.S. (Master of Science)

Legacy Department

Department of Electrical Engineering

LCSH

Optoelectronic devices; Thin films; Metal coating; Low temperatures

Abstract

In this study, Au, Ag, and A1 films were subjected to five types of measurement: resistivity vs. film thickness, resistivity vs. substrate temperature, atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and TEM electron diffraction. In all three cases, the LT film became continuous at lower thicknesses than the RT film during resistivity vs. film thickness measurements. During resistivity vs. substrate temperature testing of very thin films (<100Á), all three LT films exhibited resistivities that were orders of magnitude lower than RT films of the same thickness. This considerable difference in resistivity persisted, even increasing somewhat, as the LT films were brought up from cryogenic temperatures. The TEM and AFM results varied from metal to metal. In general, LT films exhibited better substrate coverage at lower thicknesses, and RT films showed larger grain size. Resistivity vs. film thickness measurements and TEM scans were done on Pt, Pd, and Ni. The results for two of these three metals were considerably different than those for the first three metals tested. Resistivity vs. film thickness measurements showed that LT Pt and Pd films exhibited larger resistivities than the RT films at all measured thicknesses. RT Ni films started out with higher resistivity and became more conductive than the LT film at larger thicknesses.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references (pages [57]-58)

Extent

viii, 62 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

Download

Share

COinS