Vol. 39, Issue 4, pp. 705-710 (2009)

Abstract

Stress evolution during deposition of 50 nm Au thin films by thermal evaporation in a UHV system and then stress modification during thermal vacuum annealing have been performed. For stress measurement a substrate curvature approach has been applied. The changes in stress versus temperature linked to a modification of microstructure has been interpreted. To obtain any information about structural changes in the film X-ray diffraction measurements has been performed. We can conclude from the measurements that during the first cycle some irreversible structural modifications occur in a metal film.