Optical properties of tantalum nitride films fabricated using reactive unbalanced magnetron sputtering

Journal Article · Wed Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 2004 · Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, Vacuum, Surfaces and Films

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1116/1.1778410· OSTI ID:20636563

Aouadi, S M; Debessai, M ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901-4401 (United States)

Coatings of tantalum nitride with various compositions were deposited on silicon substrates using unbalanced reactive magnetron sputtering. An optical emission spectrometer was used to monitor the ratio of tantalum to nitrogen particles in the plasma in real time. The coatings were characterized using x-ray diffraction (XRD), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). The primary nitride phases (Ta, Ta{sub 2}N, TaN) in the films were determined using XRD and XPS. The elemental composition was revealed from XPS measurements. The refractive indices were deduced from analysis of the SE data, which were subsequently simulated using the Drude-Lorentz model. The resistivity and electron mean free paths were deduced from this simulation and were correlated to the film composition and microstructure. The resistivity increased whereas the electron mean free path decreased with an increase in nitrogen content or a decrease in grain size.

• OSTI ID: 20636563
• Journal Information: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, Vacuum, Surfaces and Films, Journal Name: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, Vacuum, Surfaces and Films Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 22; ISSN 0734-2101; ISSN JVTAD6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ELECTRONS
ELLIPSOMETRY
GRAIN SIZE
MAGNETRONS
MEAN FREE PATH
NITROGEN
PHOTON EMISSION
REFRACTIVE INDEX
SILICON
SPECTROMETERS
SPUTTERING
TANTALUM NITRIDES
THIN FILMS
TIME RESOLUTION
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY