Polycrystalline TiN films deposited by reactive bias magnetron sputtering: Effects of ion bombardment on resputtering rates, film composition, and microstructure

Journal Article · Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1992 · Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology, A (Vacuum, Surfaces and Films); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1116/1.578074· OSTI ID:7272360

Petrov, I; Hultman, L; Sundgren, J ^[1]; Greene, J E ^[2]

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1. Thin Film Division, Department of Physics, Linkoeping University, S-581 83 Linkoeping (Sweden)
2. Materials Science Department, The Coordinated Science Laboratory, and The Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801 (United States)

Transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and Rutherford backscattering have been used to investigate the effects of ion irradiation during growth on the deposition rate, composition, and microstructure of single-phase polycrystalline NaCl-structure TiN{sub {ital x}} films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering with a negative substrate bias voltage {ital V}{sub {ital s}}. The layers were deposited on thermally oxidized Si(001) substrates in mixed Ar+4% N{sub 2} discharges at a total pressure of 4.2 mTorr. Varying {ital V}{sub {ital s}} between 0 and 1800 V resulted in incident ion-to-Ti atom flux ratios of 0.3 to 0.6 at the film growth surface and increases in the substrate temperature {ital T}{sub {ital s}} (initially {ital T}{sub {ital s}}=300 {degree}C) of 40 to 200 {degree}C. The Ti resputtering yield increased from {le}0.02 ({ital V}{sub {ital s}}{le}100 V) to 0.30 ({ital V}{sub {ital s}}=1800 V) Ti atoms per incident ion (primarily Ar{sup +}), while the N/Ti ratio in as-deposited films increased from 1.03 for {ital V}{sub {ital s}}=0 V to 1.12 for 100 {ital V}{le}{ital V}{sub {ital s}}{le}400 V and then decreased to {congruent}0.95 as {ital V}{sub {ital s}} was raised to 1800 V. Trapped Ar concentrations ranged from {le}0.5 at.% ({ital V}{sub {ital s}}=0) to {congruent}5.5 at.% ({ital V}{sub {ital s}}=1800 V). However, the Ar was not randomly dispersed in films grown with {ital V}{sub {ital s}}{gt}1000 V and gas bubbles were observed. Film lattice parameters {ital a}{sub 0} were found to vary from the bulk value of 0.4240 nm at {ital V}{sub {ital s}}=0 to a maximum of 0.4295 nm at {ital V}{sub {ital s}}=800 V and then decrease to 0.4265 nm at {ital V}{sub {ital s}}=1800 V. Voided grain boundaries were observed in films grown with {ital V}{sub {ital s}}{le}120 V.

• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76ER01198
• OSTI ID: 7272360
• Journal Information: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology, A (Vacuum, Surfaces and Films); (United States), Vol. 10:2; ISSN 0734-2101
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
TITANIUM NITRIDES
MICROSTRUCTURE
SPUTTERING
ARGON IONS
GRAIN BOUNDARIES
LATTICE PARAMETERS
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
POLYCRYSTALS
THIN FILMS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
CRYSTALS
FILMS
IONS
NITRIDES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PNICTIDES
RADIATION EFFECTS
TITANIUM COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
360605* - Materials- Radiation Effects
360602 - Other Materials- Structure & Phase Studies