Influence of gas atmosphere on the plasticity of metal thin films

Stresses in thin films are routinely measured by the so-called substrate curvature technique. These experiments are usually carried out in air or under a protective gas atmosphere. In this contribution we describe a new set-up capable of performing substrate curvature measurements under ultra-high vacuum conditions. The advantages are the absence of possible artifacts due to gas/film interactions, better control of gas composition, and the possibility to measure chemical effects on mechanical properties in a controlled way. We present first results that indicate an unexpected sensitivity even of polycrystalline Cu films to the gas environment.