Comparison of texture evolution in Ag and Ag(Ai) alloy thin films on amorphous SiO ₂

The textures of Ag thin films were investigated using x ray diffraction analysis as a function of the degree of agglomeration obtained by thermal annealing in vacuum. The results were compared with the textures of Ag(Al) alloy films annealed using the same conditions, and with the textures of Ag thin films those were not agglomerated. The two different changes in texture were explained using a grain growth mechanism and an agglomeration phenomenon, both of which worked to reduce the total free energy of the system at high temperature. The texture evolution of Ag films induced by agglomeration and Ag(Al) film was also discussed.