Copper coverage effect on tungsten crystallites texture development in W/Cu nanocomposite thin films

Morphological and crystallographic structures of multilayered W/Cu nanocomposite thin films elaborated by physical vapor deposition were studied by varying copper and tungsten thicknesses. Sample examinations were performed by x-ray diffraction (XRD), grazing incidence small-angle x-ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Samples were found to be composed of copper nanoparticles, homogeneously dispersed in planes parallel to the film-substrate interface and periodically separated by tungsten layers along the growth direction. Our observations revealed an original texture development of the tungsten matrix from a mixture of unexpected α-W<111> and α-W<110> components to unique α-W<110> component as the copper coverage passes a thickness threshold of 0.6 nm. Local TEM texture stereology investigations revealed simultaneous columnar growth of both preferential orientations posterior to polycrystalline development while XRD reveals strong compressive residual stresses in both texture components. Physical origins of the preferential crystallographic orientation evolution are discussed. Copper mono layers adsorption on W surfaces promotes surface energy anisotropy and diminution which is effective over the threshold. Below, the presence of a W(Cu) solid solution which does not affect substantially the texture is revealed by the stress-free lattice parameter value extracted from XRD.