Growth characteristics of sputter-deposited thin films

Thin films of the heavy-fermion superconductor were deposited on various substrate materials in various orientations by means of a quasi-multilayer sputter process. Strongly (0001)-textured growth of the hexagonal compound was found for a uranium content in the range of 23% to 28% on sapphire and with perfect in-plane order on the latter substrate material. Atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy revealed a Vollmer - Weber-like growth mode resulting in the development of large compressive strain in films on . As a result the electronic transport properties - in particular the temperature dependence of the resistivity - were strongly renormalized. Strong deviations from the …