High-flux ion irradiation with energy of {approx}20 eV affecting phase segregation and low-temperature growth of nc-TiN/a-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} nanocomposite films
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiaotong University, 800 Dongchuan, Shanghai 200240 (China)
Ti{sub 0.8}Si{sub 0.2}N films were synthesized by an inductively coupled plasma-assisted magnetron sputtering at deposition temperature lower than 200 deg. C. The effects of the incident ion to Ti+Si flux ratio (0.14{<=}J{sub i}/J{sub Ti+Si}{<=}10), with the ion energy constant at {approx}20 eV, on film growth, microstructure, and morphology were investigated by x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscope. All films have slightly higher than 50 at. % of N content. The film deposited by only magnetron sputtering with J{sub i}/J{sub Ti+Si}=0.14 is amorphous with a columnar structure. With the addition of inductively coupled plasma, the as-deposited films become crystalline. The preferred orientation evolves from (111) to (200) with the increase in J{sub i}/J{sub Ti+Si}. The film grown with J{sub i}/J{sub Ti+Si}=10 exhibits a pure (200) preferred orientation with a fine dense-grained globular structure. The lattice constant of this film is about 0.4244 nm, nearly equal to that of monolithic TiN. The binding energy of Si 2p of this film is 101.7 eV, consistent with that of amorphous silicon nitride. The low-temperature growth of a nc-TiN/a-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} nanocomposite structure is believed to be due to the enhancement of kinetic surface migration induced by high-flux low-energy ion irradiation.
- OSTI ID:
- 21020884
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, International Journal Devoted to Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films, Vol. 25, Issue 6; Other Information: DOI: 10.1116/1.2784718; (c) 2007 American Vacuum Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1553-1813
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
BINDING ENERGY
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DEPOSITION
FIELD EMISSION
GRAIN ORIENTATION
ION BEAMS
IRRADIATION
LATTICE PARAMETERS
MAGNETRONS
PLASMA
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SEGREGATION
SILICON NITRIDES
SPUTTERING
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0065-0273 K
THIN FILMS
TITANIUM NITRIDES
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY