Nanocrystalline tetragonal tantalum thin films

Nanocrystalline tetragonal tantalum thin film was prepared by magnetron sputtering. Structure, electrical and mechanical properties of the film were characterized using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, four-point probe and nanoindentation. Electrical resistivity of the film was found to be 264.55 μΩ cm at room temperature with negative temperature dependence. Hardness and Young’s modulus of the present tetragonal tantalum thin film with a grain size of 32.3 nm were measured to be 15.0 and 193.9 GPa, respectively.