Grain structure variation with temperature for evaporated metal films

Metallic films are today used in various technological applications. The grain structures of these films influence many properties including the hardness, corrosion resistance, and the electrical conductivity reactivity of thin films in electrical devices. It is therefore important to understand how the films grow and the mechanisms by which grain structures are developed during deposition. In this paper the role of the substrate temperature (Ts) during deposition is the variable that is discussed in the greatest detail. Earlier work has shown that it is possible to classify the structure of the thick films into four characteristic zones which depend on the substrate temperature. © 1984, American Vacuum Society. All rights reserved.