28955002 A description the method of the present invention preferably involves using a conventional magnetron sputter deposition chamber within the following process parameters power dc between about 1 and 4 kw pressure between about 1 0 and 2 5 millitorr argon gas flow rate between about 50 and 90 sccm hydrogen gas flow rate between about 90 and 600 sccm argon hydrogen gas ratio between about 1 1 to 1 6 the operation of the magnetron sputter deposition chamber generally involves applying the direct current power between the cathode in this case the aluminum target and the anode substrate to create the plasma the chamber is maintained within the above pressure range and with an appropriate mixture of argon gas and hydrogen gas the aluminum containing films resulting from this method have between about a trace amount and 12 atomic oxygen in the form of aluminum oxide al 2 o 3 with the remainder being aluminum it is believed that the primary hillock prevention mechanism is the presence of the hydrogen in the system since it has been found that even using the system with no oxygen or virtually no oxygen present trace amounts that are unmeasurable by present equipment and techniques results in a hillock free aluminum containing film it is also believed that the presence of oxygen in the film is primarily responsible for a smooth less rough aluminum containing film since roughness generally decreases with an increase in oxygen content in the film it is understood that the sputter deposition system of the present invention will usually always have a trace amount of oxygen this trace amount of oxygen will be incorporated into the aluminum containing film.