An isochronal kinetic study of intermetallic compound growth in Sn/Cu thin film couples

• Published in: Thin solid films Vol. 515; no. 4; pp. 2781 - 2785
• Main Authors: Liao, C.N., Wei, C.T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 05.12.2006; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Activation analysis; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Electrical properties; Electrical properties of specific thin films; Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures; Electronic transport phenomena in thin films and low-dimensional structures; Exact sciences and technology; Intermetallic compound; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Physics; Theory and models of film growth; Thin film reaction; Thin film reaction; Electrical properties; Intermetallic compound; Activation analysis; Annealing; Electrical conductivity; Intermetallic compounds; Growth rate; Thin films; Kinetic model; Ambient temperature; Growth mechanism; Copper; Activation energy; X-ray diffraction analysis
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2006.05.025

Growth kinetics of Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn compounds in Cu/Sn thin film couples was studied by in situ resistivity measurements and X-ray diffraction analysis. The Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn intermetallic compounds were found to form in sequence when the Cu/Sn bimetallic samples were isochronally annealed from room temperature to 220 °C. A kinetic model was presented to explain sequential appearance of the Cu6Sn5 phase and the Cu3Sn phase during the isochronal annealing process. The activation energies of Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn compound growth in Cu/Sn thin film couples were determined from the in situ resistivity measurements to be 0.87 eV and 1.05 eV, respectively.