Fractal Dimension of Thin-film Surfaces Obtained by Fourier Spectral Analysis

✍ Scribed by Zahn, W.; Z�sch, A.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 259 KB
• Volume: 25
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0142-2421
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-9918(199706)25:7/8<488::aid-sia255>3.0.co;2-n

✦ Synopsis

The applicability of models based on fractal geometry to characterize thin-Ðlm surfaces was investigated. The fractal geometry of sputtered chromium nitride and silicon nitride thin-Ðlm surfaces was described using Fourier spectral analysis of proÐles from scanning tunnelling microscopy images and atomic force microscopy images.

The and coatings were deposited on silicon wafers using reactive magnetron sputtering and varying CrN x SiN x the gas pressure. The columnar structure of the amorphous silicon nitride varied with deposition, similar to the structure of the polycrystalline chromium nitride Ðlms.

The fractal dimension decreases with increasing pressure. Films with Ðne columnar structures are characterized by a larger fractal dimension than Ðlms with coarse columnar structures.