Effect of the Surface Temperature on Formation of Low-Temperature Phase in Magnetron-Sputtered Chromium Films

The existence of a low-temperature (LT) chromium phase with the primitive cubic lattice in chromium films is questionable. We revealed that the main condition necessary for LT phase formation in magnetron sputtered Cr films is the deposition of the film from low-energy atomic flux, which is accomplished during deposition at a high working gas pressure. The films deposited from high-energy atomic flux at a low gas pressure crystallized in the ordinary bcc phase independently of the substrate temperature. This effect is explained by assuming the existence of a “hot” layer on the growth surface whose temperature can be noticeably higher than the substrate temperature.