INFLUENCE OF ARGON PRESSURE ON THE COMPOSITION OF CO EARLY TRANSITION-METAL FILMS FABRICATED BY RF MAGNETRON SPUTTERING IN THE COMPOSITE TARGET MODE

Abstract

The effects of argon pressure and the solute element on compositional changes have been studied in binary Co- early transition metal (ETM) thin films fabricated by r.f. magnetron sputtering using the composite target mode. The solute concentration of the deposited film increases linearly with the area fraction of solute element of target and with the logarithm of argon pressure in the range 0.5 1 0 m torr. The compositional changes are discussed by considering not only the sputtering yield but also the argon pressure, which is related to the collision effect, and the difference in atomic weights between Co and ETM elements.