Epitaxial stabilization of cubic-SiN{sub x} in TiN/SiN{sub x} multilayers

Journal Article · Mon May 08 04:00:00 EDT 2006 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2202145· OSTI ID:20779290

Soederberg, Hans; Oden, Magnus; Larsson, Tommy; Hultman, Lars; Molina-Aldareguia, Jon M ^[1]

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1. Division of Engineering Materials, Luleaa University of Technology, SE-971 87 Luleaa (Sweden)

The formation of cubic-phase SiN{sub x} is demonstrated in TiN/SiN{sub x} multilayers deposited by reactive dual magnetron sputtering. Transmission electron microscopy examination shows a transition from epitaxially stabilized growth of crystalline SiN{sub x} to amorphous growth as the layer thickness increases from 0.3 to 0.8 nm. The observations are supported by ab initio calculations on different polytypes, which show that the NaCl structure has the best lattice match to TiN. Calculations also reveal a large difference in elastic shear modulus between NaCl-SiN{sub x} and TiN. The results for phase structure and shear modulus offer an explanation for the superhardening effect determined by nanoindentation experiments.

• OSTI ID: 20779290
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 19 Vol. 88; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
AMORPHOUS STATE
CRYSTAL GROWTH
CUBIC LATTICES
HARDENING
LAYERS
SILICON NITRIDES
SODIUM CHLORIDES
SPUTTERING
STABILIZATION
THICKNESS
TITANIUM NITRIDES
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
VAPOR PHASE EPITAXY