Ruthenium-aluminum-nitride (Ru-AlN) thin films were grown by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) at 300 degrees C. The Ru intermixing ratio of Ru-AlN thin films was controlled by the number of Ru unit cycles, while the number of AlN unit cycles was fixed to one cycle. The electrical resistivity of Ru-AlN thin film decreased with increasing the Ru intermixing ratio, but a drastic decrease in electrical resistivity was observed when the Ru intermixing ratio was around 0.58-0.78. Bright-field scanning transmission electron microscope (BF-STEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) element mapping analysis revealed that the electrical resistivity of Ru-AlN thin film was strongly dependent on the microstructures as well as on the Ru intermixing ratio. Although the electrical resistivity of Ru-AlN thin films decreased with increasing the Ru intermixing ratio, a drastic decrease in electrical resistivity occurred where the electrical paths formed as a result of the coalescence of Ru nanocrystals. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.