Physical Vapor Deposition of Sn Films on Si Substrates

Sn films are grown on Si (100) and Si (111) substrates through physical vapor deposition of solid Sn sources, where ultra-high purity Ar gas serves as the carrier gas. The dependence of the morphology and structure of the Sn film on the surface termination of the Si substrate, the deposition temperature, and the deposition pressure is investigated. The strain of the Sn film, as determined by x-ray diffraction (XRD), is found to be dependent on the deposition temperature.