Lattice Defect of Interfacial Layer in Superhard TiN/Si3N4 Multilayer Films Studied by Fluorescence X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure

Journal Article · Fri Feb 02 04:00:00 EST 2007 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2644555· OSTI ID:21054651

Zhiyun, Pan; Zhihu, Sun; Zhi, Xie; Shiqiang, Wei ^[1]; Junhua, Xu; Kojima, Isao ^[2]

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1. National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230029 (China)
2. National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, AIST Tsukuba Central 5, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8565 (Japan)

Fluorescence x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) is used to study the local structures of super-hard TiN/Si3N4 multilayer films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering at temperatures of 20, 200, 500 and 800 deg. C. The results clearly reveal the presence of interfacial intermixing between adjacent TiN and Si3N4 layers, composing of TiSixNi1-x solid solution with a NaCl-like structure. With the growth temperature increasing from 20 to 500 deg. C, the thickness of interlayer rises from 2.5 to 5.0 A. For the TiN/Si3N4 multilayer film grown at 500 deg. C, the interfacial layer is composed of TiSi0.24N0.76 solution, where the Ti-N bond length (2.07 A) is largely shrunk as compared with the value (2.12 A) in the pure TiN layer. When growth temperature rises to 800 deg. C, the composition of interfacial layer becomes TiSi0.30N0.70 and reaches the thickness of 7.8 A. We propose that the TiSixN1-x interlayer with obviously contracted Ti-N bond length is an important hardening factor for the crystalline/amorphous TiN/Si3N4 multilayer films grown at high temperatures.

• OSTI ID: 21054651
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 882; ISSN APCPCS; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
BOND LENGTHS
CRYSTAL DEFECTS
FILMS
FINE STRUCTURE
FLUORESCENCE
HARDENING
INTERFACES
LAYERS
SILICON NITRIDES
SOLID SOLUTIONS
SPUTTERING
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TIN
TITANIUM NITRIDES
X-RAY SPECTRA
X-RAY SPECTROSCOPY