Microstructure of thin tantalum films sputtered onto inclined substrates: Experiments and atomistic simulations

We have combined experiments and atomistic modeling in order to better understand the growth and structure of metal films deposited onto sidewalls of trenches and vias. Using x-ray reflectance, atomic force microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy to characterize the microstructure and morphology of Ta films grown by magnetron sputtering onto inclined substrates, we find that films deposited at larger incidence angles tend towards columnar microstructure with high roughness and low density. We have used a three-dimensional Monte Carlo model ~ADEPT! to simulate the growth process, under conditions close to those investigated experimentally. A binary collision model is included in the Monte Carlo deposition procedure to describe the interaction of energetic particles with the surface. Examination of the film microstructure and morphology resulting from the simulations indicates that the energetic impinging particles are necessary to produce film densities comparable to those found experimentally. By including these effects, we thus find good agreement between the simulations and the experimental results. © 2003 American Institute of Physics. @DOI: 10.1063/1.1579112#