We performed in-situ X-ray reflectivity measurements of gold films during sputter deposition on polished silicon substrates. The measurements were performed at several substrate temperatures and under two argon pressures. The gold surfaces were also examined by scanning tunneling microscopy after deposition to obtain their real-space topographic images. These images were used to complement the X-ray reflectivity measurements in determining the effect of argon pressure on the gold surface and its height-height difference functions. An approximation for height-height difference functions was employed to analyze the X-ray reflectivity data. The measured interface width during growth followed a simple power law, consistent with recent theoretical results of dynamic scaling behavior. The scaling exponents, however, do not agree well with predictions based on some models in 2 + 1 dimensions.

Using a specially designed off-axis faced magnetron sputtering chamber we have performed in situ x-ray diffraction studies of the growth of YBa2Cu3Ox films using a synchrotron light source. The orientation and rocking curve width were studied as a function of substrate temperature, O2/Ar partial pressures, and deposition rate. Growth rate was studied on SrTiO3, LaAlO3, and MgO.

We report the first real time, in situ synchrotron x-ray studies of Y-Ba-Cu-O thin-film growth on (100) SrTiO3 using a miniature, faced-magnetron sputtering system. A combination of the substrate temperature and the deposition rate determines whether the film grows along the a, c, or multiple axes.

We report what we believe to be the first real time, in-situ studies of film growth by sputtering using synchrotron X-rays; the structure and growth habit of YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) thin films deposited on (100) SrTiO3 in a miniature, faced-magnetron sputtering system have been investigated. A combination of the substrate temperature and the deposition rate determines whether the film grows along the a, c or multiple axes. At low substrate temperatures and low deposition rates, the films grow preferentially along the a-axis. In contrast, higher substrate temperatures and high deposition rates favor c-axis oriented film growth with some admixture of (220). The X-ray diffraction peaks were monitored in real time revealing that both a-axis and c-axis oriented grains nucleated on the surface of the (100) SrTiO3 between 625-degrees and 765-degrees-C, although the volume fraction of each orientation was temperature dependent. The structural quality of the a-axis films is superior to that of the c-axis films. The best a-axis films (deposited at 685-degrees-C), had a rocking curve width of 0.08-degrees, which is 10 times smaller than that for the c-axis films (deposited at 800-degrees-C). We have observed a shift of the (007) and (200) peak positions during deposition. The shift in the (007) peak is larger than that for the (200) peak. Defects in the c-axis films were observed, not only at the interface between the film and the substrate, but also on the upper surface of the (final) film; the latter seems to be inherent and is more severe in our films.

The conditions for deposition of Cu and Cu-oxide thin films by reactive dc sputtering have been investigated by characterizing the crystal structure of growing films both during and immediately following deposition using an in situ x-ray diffraction technique. The relationship between sputtering conditions and the phases deposited was established for a variety of conditions. At each temperature studied, increasing the oxygen pressure in the system resulted in a systematic change in the phases deposited. Of significant importance was the identification of temperature-pressure regimes in which CuO was stable during deposition but reverted to Cu2O after the sputtering plasma was extinguished, suggesting a shift in the oxidizing potential in the plasma environment. These results also suggest that the in situ analysis technique may be ideally suited for the investigation of phase relationships and phase diagrams in other systems.