Combining Sub-nanometer Adhesion and Capping Layers for Thermally Stable Nanometer-Thick Au Films

William M. Abbott; Christopher P. Murray; Frank Bello; Chuan Zhong; Christopher Smith; Cormac McGuinness; Daniyar Mamyraimov; Amanda K. Petford-Long; David McCloskey; John F. Donegan

doi:10.1021/acsanm.0c01836

Combining Sub-nanometer Adhesion and Capping Layers for Thermally Stable Nanometer-Thick Au Films

William M. Abbott, Christopher P. Murray^*, Frank Bello, Chuan Zhong, Christopher Smith, Cormac McGuinness, Daniyar Mamyraimov, Amanda K. Petford-Long, David McCloskey, John F. Donegan

^*Corresponding author for this work

Materials Science and Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Improving the thermal stability of Au thin films is critical if thermo-plasmonic applications such as heat-assisted magnetic recording are to become commercially viable. In this work, Al capping layers are deposited on M/Au films, where adhesion metal M = Ti or Ta, and are investigated for their utility in stabilizing Au thin films against dewetting. Contrary to previous investigations, it was found that thinner capping layers (0.5 nm) result in a greater stability than that conferred by thicker (1-5 nm) layers. Deposition of 0.5 nm of Al, which subsequently oxidizes when exposed to air, resulted in up to 10× stability enhancement. Similarly, capping with 0.5 nm Al resulted in less damping of the plasmonic response than with thicker capping layers. Finally, based on this work and previous work on metallic adhesion layers, optimally stable systems for thermo-plasmonic applications are proposed.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	10628-10633
Number of pages	6
Journal	ACS Applied Nano Materials
Volume	3
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acsanm.0c01836
State	Published - Nov 25 2020

Funding

This work was funded by SFI grant no. SFI/12/RC/2278 (W.M.A., C.P.M., C.Z.) and ASRC. A.K.P.-L. acknowledges the support from the U.S. DOE Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Science and Engineering Division.

Keywords

HAMR
adhesion
capping
dewetting
plasmonic
thin-film

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Materials Science

Access to Document

10.1021/acsanm.0c01836

Cite this

@article{a90e10bc059d48ac88993b9f49ee8562,

title = "Combining Sub-nanometer Adhesion and Capping Layers for Thermally Stable Nanometer-Thick Au Films",

abstract = "Improving the thermal stability of Au thin films is critical if thermo-plasmonic applications such as heat-assisted magnetic recording are to become commercially viable. In this work, Al capping layers are deposited on M/Au films, where adhesion metal M = Ti or Ta, and are investigated for their utility in stabilizing Au thin films against dewetting. Contrary to previous investigations, it was found that thinner capping layers (0.5 nm) result in a greater stability than that conferred by thicker (1-5 nm) layers. Deposition of 0.5 nm of Al, which subsequently oxidizes when exposed to air, resulted in up to 10× stability enhancement. Similarly, capping with 0.5 nm Al resulted in less damping of the plasmonic response than with thicker capping layers. Finally, based on this work and previous work on metallic adhesion layers, optimally stable systems for thermo-plasmonic applications are proposed.",

keywords = "HAMR, adhesion, capping, dewetting, plasmonic, thin-film",

author = "Abbott, {William M.} and Murray, {Christopher P.} and Frank Bello and Chuan Zhong and Christopher Smith and Cormac McGuinness and Daniyar Mamyraimov and Petford-Long, {Amanda K.} and David McCloskey and Donegan, {John F.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} ",

year = "2020",

month = nov,

day = "25",

doi = "10.1021/acsanm.0c01836",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "3",

pages = "10628--10633",

journal = "ACS Applied Nano Materials",

issn = "2574-0970",

publisher = "American Chemical Society",

number = "11",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Combining Sub-nanometer Adhesion and Capping Layers for Thermally Stable Nanometer-Thick Au Films

AU - Abbott, William M.

AU - Murray, Christopher P.

AU - Bello, Frank

AU - Zhong, Chuan

AU - Smith, Christopher

AU - McGuinness, Cormac

AU - Mamyraimov, Daniyar

AU - Petford-Long, Amanda K.

AU - McCloskey, David

AU - Donegan, John F.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: ©

PY - 2020/11/25

Y1 - 2020/11/25

N2 - Improving the thermal stability of Au thin films is critical if thermo-plasmonic applications such as heat-assisted magnetic recording are to become commercially viable. In this work, Al capping layers are deposited on M/Au films, where adhesion metal M = Ti or Ta, and are investigated for their utility in stabilizing Au thin films against dewetting. Contrary to previous investigations, it was found that thinner capping layers (0.5 nm) result in a greater stability than that conferred by thicker (1-5 nm) layers. Deposition of 0.5 nm of Al, which subsequently oxidizes when exposed to air, resulted in up to 10× stability enhancement. Similarly, capping with 0.5 nm Al resulted in less damping of the plasmonic response than with thicker capping layers. Finally, based on this work and previous work on metallic adhesion layers, optimally stable systems for thermo-plasmonic applications are proposed.

AB - Improving the thermal stability of Au thin films is critical if thermo-plasmonic applications such as heat-assisted magnetic recording are to become commercially viable. In this work, Al capping layers are deposited on M/Au films, where adhesion metal M = Ti or Ta, and are investigated for their utility in stabilizing Au thin films against dewetting. Contrary to previous investigations, it was found that thinner capping layers (0.5 nm) result in a greater stability than that conferred by thicker (1-5 nm) layers. Deposition of 0.5 nm of Al, which subsequently oxidizes when exposed to air, resulted in up to 10× stability enhancement. Similarly, capping with 0.5 nm Al resulted in less damping of the plasmonic response than with thicker capping layers. Finally, based on this work and previous work on metallic adhesion layers, optimally stable systems for thermo-plasmonic applications are proposed.

KW - HAMR

KW - adhesion

KW - capping

KW - dewetting

KW - plasmonic

KW - thin-film

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85097105100&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85097105100&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1021/acsanm.0c01836

DO - 10.1021/acsanm.0c01836

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85097105100

SN - 2574-0970

VL - 3

SP - 10628

EP - 10633

JO - ACS Applied Nano Materials

JF - ACS Applied Nano Materials

IS - 11

ER -

Combining Sub-nanometer Adhesion and Capping Layers for Thermally Stable Nanometer-Thick Au Films

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this