The Influence of the Composition of RuAl (x = 50, 55, 60, 67) Thin Films on Their Thermal Stability.

RuAl thin films possess a high potential as a high temperature stable metallization for surface acoustic wave devices. During the annealing process of the Ru-Al films, Al 2 O 3 is formed at the surface of the films even under high vacuum conditions, so that the composition of a deposited Ru 50 Al 50 film is shifted to a Ru-rich alloy. To compensate for this effect, the Al content is systematically increased during the deposition of the Ru-Al films. Three Al-rich alloys-Ru 45 Al 55 , Ru 40 Al 60 and Ru 33 Al 67 -were analyzed concerning their behavior after high temperature treatment under high vacuum and air conditions in comparison to the initial Ru 50 Al 50 sample. Although the films' cross sections show a more homogeneous structure in the case of the Al-rich films, the RuAl phase formation is reduced with increasing Al content.