The results of the following investigations are presented: (1) Improvements to the preparation and fabrication of evaporated thin metallic films; (2) Comparison of thin film thickness using x-rays, the temperature coefficient of the resistivity and goniophotometric measurements; (3) Use of goniophotometric measurements for detecting very thin surface layers (oxides); (4) Use of ellipsometric measurements for study of thin films and surfaces, with new instrumentation; (5) Measurement of resistivity and Hall constant of thin metal films in vacuo with high accuracy; (6) Use of the optical and electrical measurements performed on the same film in order to determine the scattering parameter and the optical effective mass of the conduction electrons, and the resistivity due to defects in the film; and (7) New results concerning the optical properties of Au, Cu, Pd, and Au-Pd. (Author).

This paper presents results of a successful four year effort funded by the Air Force to develop a measurement system for the study of optical-thin-film thermal transport properties. Data are presented on several coated samples. Characteristic features of the data are interpreted in terms of behavior expected on the basis of solutions of the heat diffusion equation. Comparisons are made between observed coating data and model predictions based on handbook data on coating materials in bulk format. These comparisons show close agreement for measurable properties in the special cases studied. The data are found to be free of unexpected structure.

The explosive growth in the semiconductor industry has caused a rapid evolution of thin film materials that lend themselves to the fabrication of state-of-the-art semiconductor devices. Early in the 1960s an old research technique named chemical vapour phase deposition (CVD), which has several unique advantages, developed into the most widely used technique for thin film preparation in electronics technology. In the last 25 years, tremendous advances have been made in the science and technology of thin films prepared by means of CVD. This book presents in a single volume, an up-to-date overview of the important field of CVD processes which has never been completely reviewed previously. Contents: Part I. 1. Evolution of CVD Films. Introductory remarks. Short history of CVD thin films. II. Fundamentals. 2. Techniques of Preparing Thin Films. Electrolytic deposition techniques. Vacuum deposition techniques. Plasma deposition techniques. Liquid-phase deposition techniques. Solid-phase deposition techniques. Chemical vapour conversion of substrate. Chemical vapour deposition. Comparison between CVD and other thin film deposition techniques. 3. Chemical Processes Used in CVD. Introduction. Description of chemical reactions used in CVD. 4. Thermodynamics of CVD. Feasibility of a CVD process. Techniques for equilibrium calculations in CVD systems. Examples of thermodynamic studies of CVD systems. 5. Kinetics of CVD. Steps and control type of a CVD heterogeneous reaction. Influence of experimental parameters on thin film deposition rate. Continuous measurement of the deposition rate. Experimental methods for studying CVD kinetics. Role of homogeneous reactions in CVD. Mechanism of CVD processes. Kinetics and mechanism of dopant incorporation. Transport phenomena in CVD. Status of kinetic and mechanism investigations in CVD systems. 6. Measurement of Thin Film Thickness. Mechanical methods. Mechanical-optical methods. Optical methods. Electrical methods. Miscellaneous methods. 7. Nucleation and Growth of CVD Films. Stages in the nucleation and growth mechanism. Regimes of nucleation and growth. Nucleation theory. Dependence of nucleation on deposition parameters. Heterogeneous nucleation and CVD film structural forms. Homogeneous nucleation. Experimental techniques. Experimental results of CVD film nucleation. 8. Thin Film Structure. Techniques for studying thin film structure. Structural defects in CVD thin films. 9. Analysis of CVD Films. Analysis techniques of thin film bulk. Analysis techniques of thin film surfaces. Film composition measurement. Depth concentration profiling. 10. Properties of CVD Films. Mechanical properties. Thermal properties. Optical properties. Photoelectric properties. Electrical properties. Magnetic properties. Chemical properties. Part III. 11. Equipment and Substrates. Equipment for CVD. Safety in CVD. Substrates. 12. Preparation and Properties of Semiconducting Thin Films. Homoepitaxial semiconducting films. Heteroepitaxial semiconducting films. 13. Preparation and Properties of Amorphous Insulating Thin Films. Oxides. Nitrides and Oxynitrides. Polymeric thin films. 14. Preparation and Properties of Conductive Thin Films. Metals and metal alloys. Resistor materials. Transparent conducting films. Miscellaneous materials. 15. Preparation and Properties of Superconducting and Magnetic Thin Films. Superconducting materials. Magnetic materials. 16. Uses of CVD Thin Films. Applications in electronics and microelectronics. Applications in the field of microwaves and optoelectronics. Miscellaneous applications. Artificial heterostructures (Quantum wells, superlattices, monolayers, two-dimensional electron gases). Part V. 17. Present and Future Importance of CVD Films.

This up-to-date handbook covers the main topics of preparation, characterization and properties of complex metal-based layer systems. The authors -- an outstanding group of researchers -- discuss advanced methods for structure, chemical and electronic state characterization with reference to the properties of thin functional layers, such as metallization and barrier layers for microelectronics, magnetoresistive layers for GMR and TMR, sensor and resistance layers. As such, the book addresses materials specialists in industry, especially in microelectronics, as well as scientists, and can also be recommended for advanced studies in materials science, analytics, surface and solid state science.