Microstructure and residual stress of magnetron sputtered nanocrystalline palladium and palladium gold films on polymer substrates

The authors report the structural properties and residual stresses of 500-nm-thick nanocrystalline Pd and PdAu films on compliant substrates prepared by magnetron sputtering as a function of the pressure of the Ar-sputtering gas. Films were analyzed by x-ray diffraction, cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. At low pressures the metal films exhibit strong compressive stresses, which rapidly change to highly tensile with increasing pressure, and then gradually decrease. Along with this effect a change in microstructure is observed from a dense equiaxed structure at low pressures to distinctive columns with reduced atomic density at the column walls at higher pressures. The preparation of nearly stress-free dense nanocrystalline films is demonstrated.