High temperature behavior of Cu films studied in-situ by Electron Backscatter Diffraction

Two different Cu films were studied in situ in FEG SEM as a function of temperature using electron back scatter diffraction (EBSD). Two different Cu films, one of which was partially recrystallized (film A) and the other annealed (film B) were investigated. Both EBSD and X-ray diffraction data showed that for film A there was a competition between the surface/interface and strain energy minimization with increasing temperature. The decrease in the area fraction of (1 1 0) grains with increasing temperature was attributed to segregation of impurities at the grain boundaries surrounding the (1 1 0) grains. In case of film B the (1 1 1) planes got increasingly inclined to film surface with increasing temperature under the influence of stress induced diffusion. For both the films there was an increasing tendency of the (1 1 1) grains to form either {1 1 1} {1 1 0> or {1 1 1} <1 1 2> texture at high temperature. The (1 1 0) grains showed an increased tendency to form {1 1 0} <1 0 0> at high temperature. The role of substrate in formation of these textures at has been explained based on in situ high temperature EBSD study of freestanding Cu film. (C) 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.