Al/TixW1-x metal/diffusion-barrier bilayers: interfacial reaction pathways and kinetics during annealing

Polycrystalline bcc TixW1-x layers with mixed 011 and 002 texture were grown on oxidized Si(001) substrates at 600 degrees C through ultrahigh-vacuum (UHV) magnetron sputter deposition from W and Ti0.33W0.67 targets using both pure Ar and Xe discharges. Ti concentrations in the 100-nm-thick layers were 0.6 and 33 at % depending on target composition and sputtering gas. Al overlayers, 190 nm, thick with strong 111 preferred orientation were deposited in Ar at 100 degrees C with and without breaking vacuum.