ORIGIN OF RESIDUAL-STRESS IN A TEXTURED AU THIN-FILM ON A LIF SUBSTRATE

The results of residual stress and texture measurements by X-ray diffraction of a Au thin film sputtered on a LiF substrate at 300-degrees-C are presented. The residual stress (determined by the ''sin2PSI'' method) in the film is about -300 MPa and the intra-granular structure is close to the bulk one. A texture and a high crystallinity with a coherency relationship between the [1BAR01] Au and the [011] LiF directions was observed. These results are compared to those obtained for Au thin films deposited on oxidized silicon. In the case of Au on LiF substrate, the origin of stress generation during the film growth is mainly due to the difference between the thermal expansion coefficients of the film and the substrate and not to a crystallographic coherency relationship.