HIGHLY PREFERRED [111] TEXTURE IN AL FILMS DEPOSITED ON ULTRATHIN METAL UNDERLAYERS

Al films on ultrathin metal underlayers 1-100 angstrom thick were fabricated on quartz and thermally oxidized Si substrates by the ion beam sputtering (IBS) technique. These Al films showed a highly preferred [111] texture and flat surfaces, as compared with the Al films deposited directly on the substrates. The texture in these Al films was related to the buffer layer structure and Al structure at the beginning of deposition. The metal underlayer textured into a double-rotated symmetry prevented the [111] texture of Al. The highly textured Al films had an amorphouslike structure at the beginning of Al deposition.