Synthesis and characterization of amorphous Ni–Zr thin films

• Co-sputtered nickel–zirconium films were deposited over the whole composition range.
• The films have partly an amorphous featureless structure with increased resistivity.
• The intrinsic film stresses have a strong dependency on chemical composition.

Amorphous metallic alloys can possess a variety of superior properties, such as wear and corrosion resistance or high hardness and strength, when fabricated as thin films.This paper presents a systematic study of metallic Ni–Zr based amorphous thin films as a model system deposited by magnetron co-sputtering on silicon substrates. The whole range of possible compositions was investigated; thickness and deposition conditions were maintained constant. X-ray diffraction revealed a predominantly amorphous structure from 16 to 93 at.% Ni. A comprehensive set of experimental data about the microstructure, intrinsic stresses, electrical resistivity, surface roughness and Young's modulus were acquired. Due to the featureless microstructure the roughness can be tuned to extremely low values, even at relatively thick films.