Deposition of ultra-refractory sputtered layers for high temperature applications: challenges and some solutions
Dépôt par pulvérisation de films ultraréfractaires pour des applications hautes températures: Défis et quelques solutions
Résumé
Microsensors and other micro/nano devices aimed to be operated at very high temperature (500°C to >1000°C) requires to consider the use of ultra-refractory conductive and insulating substrates and thin films for their design and fabrication. This rises various new technological and characterization challenges that must be overcome. This will be illustrated in the case of ZrC substrates and Zr-based oxide, nitride and carbide films deposited by sputtering, reactive sputtering and co-sputtering. It will be notably shown that elaboration of stoechiometric films with suitable mechanical, electrical and optical properties is hard to achieve for many reasons related to film composition measurements, to oxygen gettering effect by zirconium, to residual and thermomechanical stress, to abnormal film composition, etc…Solutions investigated to characterize and solve these various issues will be discussed.