Abstract

A number of studies report higher packing densities of various thin-film materials utilizing the ion-assisted vapor deposition technique,^1,2 but its impact on the surface roughness and scattering has not been studied extensively. This report presents the experimental results from a study on the surface roughness and scattering characteristics of several amorphous, polycrystalline, and crystalline materials. The results compare thin films deposited with various ion energy and ion current density with thin films deposited without any ion assist. The roughness measurements of the samples were made on a total integrated scatterometer and a stylus profilometer. The structural comparison made with an x-ray diffractometer and a transmission electron microscope, and some of the possible mechanisms responsible for the observed changes are also presented.

© 1987 Optical Society of America