Electrical and Structural Properties of Thin Palladium Films

The electrical resistivity of thin palladium films deposited on amorphous substrates is measured in dependence on film thickness. The data are interpreted with the help of a statistical model taking into account structural information obtained from AES, TEM and x-ray diffraction texture analysis. The steep decrease of resistivity in the ultra-thin thickness region can be im­ mediately correlated with the formation of coherent areas in the films. A more flattened course is reached at about 8 nm thickness where a continuous film structure develops.