THE INVESTIGATION ON THE FILM DEPOSITION BY ENERGETIC CLUSTER-IMPACT

A novel cluster beam deposition method of energetic cluster impact (EC I) is applied in the preparation of metallic films and compound films. A quartz crystal oscillator is used to measure the deposit rate of th e films. It is found that it can reach up to 10 nm/min. The influence of deposition parameters on the properties of the films has been inves tigated preliminarily using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Rutherfo rd Backscattering Spectroscopy (RBS). The AFM results show that the mo rphology of the films is very sensitive to the sputter current and the cluster energy. The RES spectra reveal that the impurity level in the films is very low and the film thickness is varied with the cluster i mpact energy, the pressure in the sputter chamber, etc. The experiment al results indicate that smooth, compact and uniform films with strong adhesion have been successfully prepared. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B .V.