Density measurement of W thin films coating by combination of ion beam analysis and scanning electron microscopy

¹ Groupe de Recherches sur l'Énergétique des Milieux Ionisés, UMR 6606-CNRS, Institut Polytechnique de l'Université d'Orléans, BP 6744, 45067 Orleans Cedex 2, France
² School of Science, Beijing University of Astronautics and Aeronautics, 100083 Beijing, P.R. China
³ Centre d'Études et de Recherches par Irradiations, 3A rue de la Férollerie, 45071 Orleans Cedex 2, France

Corresponding author: Pascal.Brault@univ-orleans.fr

Received: 12 October 2004
Revised: 11 January 2005
Accepted: 4 February 2005
Published online: 14 April 2005

Abstract

W-Cu-W sandwich coatings are prepared by d.c. magnetron sputtering and the film density is evaluated by RBS and scanning electron spectroscopy measurements. In order to improve the film density up to the bulk density and obtain a dense metallic coating, it is necessary and effective to optimize the deposition parameters, such as, increasing target power and decreasing Ar working pressure. The reduction of the film density from its bulk density is induced by microstructure change and incorporated impurity gas, such as oxygen and argon. When film density is increased, oxygen contamination, due to wall desorption or sample storage in air, decreases.