Self-shadowing and surface diffusion effects in obliquely deposited thin films

The production of highly porous films by oblique deposition has attracted r ecent attention because of the possible applications of such films. The mor phology of obliquely evaporated films is thought to be determined mainly by the mechanisms of self-shadowing and surface diffusion. The thin film proc ess simulator GROFILMS has been used to verify the importance of these effe cts, and clarify some aspects of how they interact to determine the final f ilm morphology. Good agreement between simulations and actual films has bee n achieved. Temperature control of the him during deposition is shown to be an important consideration for the production of structurally engineered f ilms. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.