Ni-Cr-Mn-Y-Nb resistive thin film prepared by co-sputtering

A Ni-Cr-Mn-Y-Nb resistive thin film was prepared in this study using DC and RF magnetron co-sputtering from Ni0.45-Cr0.27-Mn0.13-Y0.16 cast alloy and niobium targets. The electrical properties and microstructures of Ni-Cr-Mn-Y films with Nb addition under various annealing temperatures were investigated. The phase evolution, microstructure and composition of Ni-Cr-Mn-Y and Ni-Cr-Mn-Y-Nb films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), field-emission transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). All Ni-Cr-Mn-Y-Nb films annealed at 300 °C exhibited an amorphous structure. The Ni17Y12 crystalline phase was observed in Ni-Cr-Mn-Y-Nb films with or without lower Nb content when annealed at 400 °C. When the annealing temperature was set to 300 °C, the Ni-Cr-Mn-Y films exhibited a resistivity ∼480 μΩ-cm with the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) at +30 ppm/°C. However, Ni-Cr-Mn-Y films with 14 at.% Nb exhibited the smallest temperature coefficient of resistance (+5 ppm/°C) with the resistivity ∼585 μΩ-cm after annealing at 300 C in air.