The Influence of Film Thickness on the Annealing-Induced Changes of Texture and of the Fraction of Crystalline Phase in Pt Films

Textured Pt films 20–80 nm in thickness magnetron-sputtered on an oxidized c-Si(100) substrate have been annealed in vacuum at 500°C for 60 min. The texture parameters and the fraction of crystalline phase as a function of thickness have been studied for as-prepared and annealed films using methods of X-ray diffraction analysis. The fraction of crystalline phase in textured films has been determined by a special technique based on rocking curve examination. It has been found that for all as-deposited films, annealing improves texture and increases the fraction of crystalline phase, the thinner the film, the greater the effect. This result is explained by the appearance of large secondary grains, the volume fraction of which grows with decreasing thickness. The nonuniform in-depth distribution of texture parameters and fraction of crystalline phase in as-grown Pt films has been studied.