Silver layer instability in a SnO₂/Ag/SnO₂ trilayer on silicon

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• 作者：Suk Jun Kim ; Eric A. Stach ; Carol A. H ; werker
• 关键词：Thermal expansion mismatch ; Stress ; Interface instability ; Whiskers ; Interface dewetting ; Multilayers ; Thin film stress ; Transmission electron microscopy
• 刊名：Thin Solid Films
• 出版年：2012
• 出版时间：31 July, 2012
• 年：2012
• 卷：520
• 期：19
• 页码：6189-6195
• 全文大小：1712 K

文摘

Trilayers of SnO₂/Ag/SnO₂ deposited on oxidized Si (100) substrates at room temperature become unstable after annealing at 100 ¡ãC and 200 ¡ãC, exhibiting five phenomena - formation of internal Ag hillocks, cracking of the top SnO₂ layer above internal Ag hillocks, penetration of Ag/Ag grain boundaries by SnO₂ leading to grain pinch-off, formation of Ag whiskers and islands on the free surface of the SnO₂ through the cracked top layer, and void formation in the Ag layer. The possible driving forces and evolution path for the observed instabilities resulting from thermal expansion mismatch stresses and the reduction in interfacial energy are discussed.