The contradictory feather of Cr thin film compressive residual stress generation under energetic depositions

Ion bombardment is an important approach to generate thin film compressive residual stress independent of film growth through energetic deposition. In this study, a series of Cr/Si(100) thin films were energetically deposited using Modulated Pulsed Power Magnetron Sputtering (MPPMS) to learn the residual stress variation. The steady residual stress of Cr/Si(100) thin films, ex-situ characterized based on Stoney's equation, exhibited a compressive nature with the maximum stress observed at approximately 100–150°C as the substrate temperature increased to 220°C. The steady residual stress variation was inconsistent with calculated thermal stress and intrinsic growth stress, and the calculated compressive stress for the adatom insertion and ion bombardment are contradictory under varied temperatures. The ability of adatom movement and insertion to grain boundaries promote the formation of compressive stress, while the defect annihilation and atom rearrangement inhibit the ion bombardment-induced residual stress.