Reduced Cu-Cr mixing and reduced Pt-Cu interdiffusion by oxygen in Cu/Cr and Pt/Cu/Cr thin films

The effects of oxygen on the Cu-Cr mixing and Pt-Cu interdiffusion have been studied using Cu/Cr and Pt/Cu/Cr thin film structures. Both processes are reduced by oxygen, in agreement with the predicted effects of oxygen by the surface potential model. The Pt-Cu interactions provide another example of competing ambient effects dominated by the more electronegative species Pt.