Characteristics of TiN films sputtered under optimized conditions of metallic mode deposition

• Published in: Japanese Journal of Applied Physics Vol. 36; no. 2; pp. 595 - 600
• Main Authors: SUMI, H, INOUE, H, TAGUCHI, M, SUGANO, Y, MASUYA, H, ITO, N, KISHIDA, S, TOKUTAKA, H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo Japanese journal of applied physics 01.02.1997
• Subjects: Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Deposition by sputtering; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Physics; Collimators; Inorganic compounds; Transition element compounds; Binary compounds; Crystal growth from vapors; XRD; Experimental study; Density; Preferred orientation; Photoelectron spectroscopy; Titanium nitrides; Characterization; Thin films; Magnetrons; Nitrides; Cathode sputtering; X radiation; TEM; Electric conductivity
• ISSN: 0021-4922; 1347-4065
• DOI: 10.1143/JJAP.36.595

We prepared TiN films by metallic or nitride mode sputtering using a collimator, and investigated the characteristics of the films. Resistivity, density, thermal stress, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements and transmission electron microscope (TEM) observation were carried out. The characteristics of the TiN films depended on the N 2 /Ar flow ratio. TiN deposition rates in the metallic mode with N 2 /Ar flow ratios from 0.2 to 0.5 were 3 times higher than those in the conventional nitride mode with N 2 /Ar ratios from 0.75 to 1.0. By depositing the film under the best metallic mode conditions with N 2 /Ar=0.5, the TiN film with a minimum resistivity and a maximum film density was formed. The TiN films, which were prepared under optimized conditions of metallic mode deposition, had a small concentration of oxide in the TiN, strong (111)-preferred orientation and good crystallinity.