Combinatorial sputter deposition of ultrathick Au-Bi alloy films

Gold-bismuth alloys are of interest as catalysts and catalytic sensing systems, electrochemical sensors, superconductors, and hohlraums for magnetically assisted inertial confinement fusion implosions. Radiation-hydrodynamics simulations with the Lasnex code of laser-driven hohlraums predict higher x-ray drive from Au-Bi alloys compared with cases of Au-Ta or pure Au and Bi hohlraums. Here, we use direct current magnetron sputtering in Ar gas, with co-sputtering from two elemental targets, to deposit Au-Bi alloys with Bi content of 9-77 at.% and thicknesses up to similar to 20 mu m. Films are characterized by a combination of x-ray diffraction, Rutherford backscattering, scanning electron microscopy, substrate-curvature-based residual stress, and electronic transport measurements. Experiments are complemented by Monte Carlo simulations of ballistic sputtering and gas phase transport of depositing species and Ar gas atoms. Results show that all films are polycrystalline, with three distinct compositional regimes dominated by Au, Au2Bi, and Bi crystallographic phases. A metallic behavior of the temperature dependence of electrical resistivity is observed for all the films. Films with Bi content above similar to 30 at.% exhibit porosity, which is tolerable to hohlraum x-ray drive based on Lasnex simulations.

Automated summary

This study investigates the deposition of Au-Bi alloy films using direct current magnetron sputtering and characterizes the films using various techniques. The films are found to be polycrystalline, consisting of Au, Au2Bi, and Bi crystallographic phases. Films with high Bi content exhibit porosity.