Crystal Structure and Morphology of Nanocrystalline TiN Thin Films

• Published in: Journal of electronic materials Vol. 41; no. 11; pp. 3139 - 3144
• Main Authors: Ramana, C. V., White, S., Esparza, N., Rangel, V., Campbell, A. L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.11.2012; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Crystal structure; Deposition by sputtering; Diffraction; Electronics and Microelectronics; Exact sciences and technology; Instrumentation; Magnetron sputtering; Materials Science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Morphology; Nanocrystals; Optical and Electronic Materials; Physics; Solid State Physics; Structure and morphology; thickness; Surface layer; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Texture; Texturing; Thin film structure and morphology; Thin films; Titanium nitride; lattice constant morphology; crystal structure; texturing; reactive sputtering; TiN films; Scanning electron microscopy; Grazing incidence; Titanium nitride; XRD; Lattice parameters; Coatings; Preferred orientation; Texture; Gas mixtures; Thin films; Cathode sputtering; Physical vapor deposition; Reactive sputtering; Sputter deposition; Microstructure; Crystal morphology; Nanocrystal; Radiofrequency sputtering; Crystal structure
• ISSN: 0361-5235; 1543-186X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11664-012-2198-z

Titanium nitride (TiN) thin films were grown employing radiofrequency (RF) magnetron sputtering under varying nitrogen gas flow rates. Characterization of the grown materials was done by grazing-incidence x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The results indicate that the crystal structure and texture of the grown TiN layers are dependent on the ratio of nitrogen to argon in the reactive gas mixture during deposition. TiN coatings initially showed (111) preferred orientation, then mixed (111) and (002) texturing, followed by completely (002) texturing with increasing nitrogen content. The analyses indicate that the nitrogen incorporation into the layers and the associated chemistry determine the texturing and lattice parameters.