Silver Film Growth on Glass Ceramic by Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering

Thin silver films are deposited by radio frequency magnetron sputtering on glass ceramic at room temperature.Variations of sputtering power,bios voltage and power density are carried out for each deposition,then parts of as-deposited samples are subjected to annealing at 600 ℃ within a vacuum chamber.Structural properties are studied by X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscope(SEM)and laser scanning confocal microscope(LSCM).It is shown that structural properties have a strong dependency on sputtering power and annealing temperature.Electrical contact resistance measured by a four point probe instrument is directly affected by the thickness of films.It is also found that the film conductivity,especially in thinner films,is improved by the increasing grain size.Finally,the film adhesion is observed by scratch tests.And the adhesive ability deposited by radio frequency magnetron sputtering shows a better performance than that produced by traditional methods.