Structure and internal stress of Au films deposited on SiO₂/Si(100) and mica by dc sputtering

Au films with a thickness of about 300 nm were deposited on SiO₂/Si(100) and mica substrates by dc sputtering. X-ray diffraction spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy were used to analyze the structure and internal stress of the Au films. The films grown on SiO₂/Si(100) show a preferential orientation of [111] in the growth direction. However the films grown on mica have mixture crystalline orientations of [111], [200], [220] and [311] in the growth direction and the orientations of [200] and [311] are slightly more than those of [111] and [220]. An internal stress in the films grown on SiO₂/Si(100) is tensile. For Au films grown on mica the internal stresses in the [111]- and [311]-orientation grains are compressive while those in the [200]- and [220]-orientation grains are tensile. Au films grown SiOJSi(100) have some very large grains with a size of about 400 nm and have a wider grain size distribution compared with those grown on mica.