Formation threshold and structural evolution of molybdenum nanocrystals with sputtering pressure
- 31 January 1991
- journal article
- Published by Springer Nature in Journal of Materials Research
- Vol. 6 (1) , 8-10
- https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.1991.0008
Abstract
The evolution of the size and shape of molybdenum nanocrystals fabricated by sputtering in a thermal gradient has been studied as a function of the argon gas pressure, p. For 4 < p < 100 mTorr, continuous Mo films are deposited. At p = 150 mTorr, isolated and well-faceted Mo nanocrystals of two sizes (20 and 5 nm average size) are formed. For 200 ≤ p ≤ 400 mTorr, the particle size decreases with increasing pressure and is about 7 nm at 400 mTorr. On increasing p further, larger particles start to form and at p = 700 mTorr, particle agglomerates are observed. Possible mechanisms leading to these results are suggested.Keywords
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