Postdeposition treatments of TiN x Part I: effects of annealing on the structure of nitrogen-rich films

• Published in: Surface & coatings technology Vol. 63; no. 1; pp. 85 - 91
• Main Authors: Manory, Rafael R., Kimmel, Giora
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 1994
• ISSN: 0257-8972; 1879-3347
• DOI: 10.1016/S0257-8972(05)80011-8

This paper discusses various defects in TiN and related nitrides and their repair by heat treatments. X-ray diffractograms of TiN x films deposited on glass substrates with increasing nitrogen content in the plasma chamber show gradual changes in the structure, from normal TiN x to anomalous films having the CaF 2 structure. The differences between the diffractograms of the two types of structure are analysed in view of the increased nitrogen content in the deposition chamber. The apparent (111) orientation observed in films obtained with high amounts of nitrogen in the plasma is explained as an intrinsic feature of the CaF 2 structure with very small crystallites. Structural repair was observed in all films after heat treatment for 8 h at 500°C and the CaF 2-type phase transformed into randomly oriented NaCl phase.