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Interfacial reactions in epitaxial Al/Ti[sub 1[minus][ital x]]Al[sub [ital x]]N (0[le][ital x][le]0. 2) model diffusion-barrier structures

Journal Article · · Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology, A (Vacuum, Surfaces and Films); (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1116/1.578277· OSTI ID:6906726
; ; ;  [1]; ;  [2]
  1. Coordinated Science Laboratory, Materials Research Laboratory, and Department of Materials Science, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801 (United States)
  2. Thin Film Division, Physics Department, Linkoeping University, S-581 83 Linkoeping (Sweden)
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Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), cross-sectional TEM, scanning TEM with energy dispersive x-ray analysis, and Auger electron spectroscopy were used to investigate the nature of rate-controlling interfacial reactions in epitaxial Al/Ti[sub 1[minus][ital x]]Al[sub [ital x]]N thin-film couples. TiN and NaCl-structure Ti[sub 1[minus][ital x]]Al[sub [ital x]]N layers, 120 nm thick, with compositions [ital x]=0.1 and 0.2 were grown on MgO(001) substrates by ultrahigh vacuum reactive magnetron cosputter deposition in N[sub 2] discharges. Epitaxial Al films, 200-nm-thick, were then grown in Ar on top of the nitride layers during the same vacuum cycle. The reaction paths for Al/TiN and Al/(Ti,Al)N interactions during anneals at [ital T][sub [ital a]]=600 [degree]C for [ital t][sub [ital a]] up to 150 min was similar, but the extent of reaction was dramatically decreased by the substitution of (Ti,Al)N barrier layers for TiN. The primary mobile species during annealing was Ti which penetrated into the Al layers and reacted to form the ordered tetragonal intermetallic phase Al[sub 3]Ti while Al segregation resulted in the formation of a narrow metastable zincblende structure AlN layer at the Al/nitride interface. The room-temperature resistivity of 1-[mu]m-thick nitride layers varied from 15 [mu][Omega] cm for TiN to 60 [mu][Omega] cm for Ti[sub 0.8]Al[sub 0.2]N.

DOE Contract Number:
AC02-76ER01198
OSTI ID:
6906726
Journal Information:
Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology, A (Vacuum, Surfaces and Films); (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology, A (Vacuum, Surfaces and Films); (United States) Vol. 11:1; ISSN 0734-2101; ISSN JVTAD6
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360104* -- Metals & Alloys-- Physical Properties
360204 -- Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories-- Physical Properties
ALUMINIUM
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ALUMINIUM NITRIDES
ANNEALING
ATOM TRANSPORT
AUGER ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
DIFFUSION
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
ELEMENTS
FILMS
HEAT TREATMENTS
INTERFACES
METALS
MICROSCOPY
NEUTRAL-PARTICLE TRANSPORT
NITRIDES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PNICTIDES
RADIATION TRANSPORT
SPECTROSCOPY
SPUTTERING
THIN FILMS
TITANIUM
TITANIUM COMPOUNDS
TITANIUM NITRIDES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY