Large-grained Ag thin films with low electrical resistivity produced by sputtering in Kr gas

The present study investigated Ag thin films sputter-deposited in either Ar or Kr gas. The lowest resistivity (2.1 μΩ cm) and the largest crystallite size (77 nm) were obtained for films sputtered in Kr, which contained no entrapped Kr atoms. In contrast, sputtering using Ar gas produced films with a resistivity in the range of 2.5-3.5 μΩ cm due to entrapment of Ar atoms at concentrations of 0.05-0.24 at%, and with smaller crystallites. These results indicate that the presence of inert gas within the sputtered films affects both the grain size and resistivity.