Effects of high-flux low-energy ion bombardment on the low-temperature growth morphology of TiN(001) epitaxial layers
- Department of Materials Science, the Materials Research Laboratory, and the Coordinated Science Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801 (United States)
Ultrahigh vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) is used to characterize the surface morphology of TiN(001) epitaxial layers grown by dc reactive magnetron sputtering at growth temperatures of T{sub s}=650 and T{sub s}=750 degree sign C. An auxiliary anode is used to bias the N{sub 2} plasma and produce a large flux of low-energy N{sub 2}{sup +} ions that bombard the film surface during growth: the ratio of the N{sub 2}{sup +} flux to the Ti growth flux is {approx_equal}25. At ion energies E{sub i} near the threshold for the production of bulk defects (E{sub i}=43 eV and T{sub s}=650 degree sign C), ion bombardment decreases the amplitude of the roughness, decreases the average distance between growth mounds, and reduces the sharpness of grooves between growth mounds. The critical island radius for second layer nucleation R{sub c} is approximately 12 and 17 nm at growth temperatures of 650 and 750 degree sign C respectively; at 650 degree sign C, R{sub c} is reduced to (approx =)10 nm by ion bombardment. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society.
- OSTI ID:
- 20216790
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Vol. 61, Issue 23; Other Information: PBD: 15 Jun 2000; ISSN 1098-0121
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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