Thermal Stability and Analysis of Laser Deposited Platinum Films

As the trend towards device miniaturisation continues, surface effects and the thermal stability of metal deposits becomes increasingly important. We present here a study of the morphology and composition of platinum films, produced by the UV-induced decomposition of organometallic materials, under various annealing conditions. The surface composition of the metal deposits was studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, both as-deposited and following thermal treatment. In addition, the morphology of the surface was studied by atomic force microscopy which enabled the investigation of film restructuring. These studies were performed over a range of temperatures up to 1000°C in air and up to 600°C in reducing environments. Complementary information regarding the film morphology has been obtained from transmission electron microscopy. The data has been used to provide an insight into the effects of elevated temperatures on metal films deposited by a direct write method