GROWTH OF OXIDE LAYERS ON CRSI-O FILMS

Growth of the oxide layer at the surface of CrSi-O films, which is important for the stability of these films, was investigated by detailed analysis of the dependence on thickness of the resistance R and the temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR) of as-grown and annealed films. The dependences of R and TCR on the silicon content of the target (60-74 at.%), on the oxygen content of the film (from less than 1 to 43 at.%), and on annealing conditions (temperature, time, atmosphere of air and argon) were studied. The electrical properties can be well understood as the effect of an oxide layer, where the thickness of this layer, obtained from electrical data, correlates reasonably with the chemical composition and long-term stability of the films.