Gas Incorporation into Sputtered Films

Abstract

The concentration of argon in sputtered nickel films has been obtained as a function of the film-growth temperature, the discharge pressure, and of the energy (bias voltage) with which the argon ions bombard the growing film. The concentrations vary from about 10−1 argon atoms/Ni atom to 10−4 argon atoms/Ni atom, depending upon the conditions during film growth. The incorporation of both argon and nitrogen into nickel films is interpreted on the basis of results previously obtained from sorption studies in a more-idealized system on a pre-existing nickel surface.