Influence of deposition time on the optical and morphological properties of silver–copper thin films: experimental and statistical studies

• Published in: Optical and quantum electronics Vol. 53; no. 6
• Main Authors: Noorbakhsh, Razia, Rezaee, Sahar, Nia, Borhan Arghavani, Boochani, Arash
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.06.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Absorption spectra; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Computer Communication Networks; Copper; Deposition; Electrical Engineering; Fractal analysis; Fractal geometry; Fractals; Grain size; Lasers; Nanoparticles; Optical Devices; Optical properties; Optics; Photonics; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Statistical analysis; Statistical methods; Thin films; AFM; DC magnetic sputtering; Ag–Cu thin films; Statistical features; Optical properties
• ISSN: 0306-8919; 1572-817X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11082-021-02942-8

In this study, silver-copper layers were grown by DC magnetic sputtering under nitrogen gas at different time periods. Using AFM analysis, a relatively uniform distribution of almost spherical nanoparticles was observed on the surface of the layers, which by increasing the deposition time, the grain size also changed and in some areas on the surface became agglomerated. The average nanoparticle size is reported to be about 4 nm. Fractal and statistical analysis of the surface of the samples was investigated, and it was shown that the fractal dimension of smooth surfaces is larger than rough surfaces, which means higher reproducibility. In addition, using the absorption spectrum in the UV–visible region, it was shown that the Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) was shifted sharply toward higher Plasmon frequencies by escalating the deposition time.