Copper nanopattern on SiO₂ from sputter etching a Cu/SiO₂ interface

From National Research Council Canada

DOI	Resolve DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1864247
Author	Search for: Stepanova, M.; Search for: Dew, S. K.; Search for: Soshnikov, I. P.
Format	Text, Article
Subject	Copper; glass; metal-insulator boundaries; metallic thin films; Monte Carlo methods; nanopatterning; nanostructured materials; self-assembly; sputter deposition; sputter etching; surface morphology
Abstract	We have observed a Cu nanostructure self-assembled on a SiO₂ substrate during ion beam etching the Cu/SiO₂ interface. We have deposited a thin Cu layer on a glass substrate and etched the deposited layer by a neutralized argon ion beam. At the stage when almost all metal is removed by etching, we have observed an ~20-nm-sized Cu pattern on the substrate. By atomistic Monte Carlo simulations we have demonstrated that during sputter etching, a morphology self-organizes on the surface of the Cu layer whose size and shape matches the observed Cu nanostructure. We conclude that the observed Cu nanopattern on the substrate results from the surface morphology developed by sputter instability during etching of the deposited layer.
Publication date	2005-02-09
In	Applied Physics Letters 86, no. 7 (9 February 2005): 073112-1–073112-3.
Language	English
Peer reviewed	Yes
NRC publication	This is a non-NRC publication "Non-NRC publications" are publications authored by NRC employees prior to their employment by NRC.
NRC number	18
NPARC number	12329169
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Record identifier	39a3a72f-4cf6-403c-99b3-dd675da964fd
Record created	2009-09-10
Record modified	2020-04-07

Date modified:: 2024-04-18