Structure investigations of thin MoSx films

The influence of process parameters on the formation of microstructure of magnetron-sputtered MoSx-films on silicon wafers was investigated. The MoSx-films were analyzed by means of X-ray diffraction and TEM. The prepared MoSx-films show a microstructure in dimension of some nm without any prefered orientation or texture. The X-ray diffraction measurements indicate clearly differences in the structure for various preparation conditions. Simulations provided a first structural model for the description of the MoSx-films. The MoSx-films consist of two-dimensional nanocrystals and noncrystallographic randomly packed (001) planes. Transitions between these structural states and intermediate states determine the microstructure depending on the preparation conditions.