Thermally driven redistribution of phases and components in Cu/Sn thin films

• Unusual features of phase transformations under the thermal treatment of the thin films system Cu (80 nm)-Sn (20 nm) have been studied using a range of physical methods. Processes of mass transfer in thin layers were studied and regimes of thermal treatment were chosen to compare the influence of different temperatures for a given time and the influence of annealing time at a fixed temperature. Presence of the intermetallic phase Cu6Sn5 in the as-deposited state and its transformation into Cu3Sn phase after annealing at temperature 373 K for different times has been identified by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction. Annealing at a temperature of 473 K, and higher, leads to the formation, unexpectedly, of the Cu4Sn phase. The concentration distribution of tin through the depth of the sample was obtained by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy and demonstrated the existence of the Cu4Sn composition. The topography of the surface of the samples was determined with atomic-force microscopy.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Thin films

Phase formation

Diffusion

Surface

Concentration

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)