CHARACTERIZATION OF SPUTTER-DEPOSITED MULTILAYERS OF NI AND ZR WITH APFIM TAP/

Thin layers of Ni and Zr (Ni/Zr/Ni) were grown on well developed tungs ten and nickel FIM tips under ultra-high vacuum conditions by sputter deposition at room temperature. The amount of Ni deposited was equival ent to about 20 nm thickness, whereas that of the intermediate Zr laye r varied between 10 and 30 nm. These specimens were investigated by me ans of Atom Probe Field Ion Microscopy (APFIM) and Tomographic Atom Pr obe (TAP). The specimen with the thinner Zr film (5-20 nm) showed no s harp interface, but a transient region between the Ni and Zr films. Fo r specimen with the thick Zr films (greater than or equal to 20 nm) bo th the transient region and pure Zr layers were observed. Both the spa tial variation of the composition and the structure of this intermedia te region were investigated. The results indicate that the transient r egion is partially amorphous.