Pressure and temperature effects on stoichiometry and microstructure of nitrogen-rich TiN thin films synthesized via reactive magnetron DC-sputtering

摘要: Nitrogen-rich titanium nitride (TiN) thin films containing excess nitrogen up to 87.0 at.% were produced on (100) Si substrates via the reactive magnetron DC-sputtering of a commercially available 99.995 pure Ti target within an argon-nitrogen (Ar-N 2) atmosphere with 20-to-1 gas ratio. The process pressure (PP) and substrate temperature (TS) at which deposition occurred varied systematically between 0.26 Pa-1.60 Pa 15.0°C-600°C, respectively, their effects chemical composition, surface morphology, preferred orientation characterized by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), diffraction (XRD). EDS analysis confirms increasing content PP TS. SEM images reveal uniform crystallized morphology as well closely packed cross-sectional for all crystalline loosely amorphous films. Films lower TS have pyramidal transitions columnar stratified structure increase. XRD existence only δ-TiN phase absence other nitrides, oxides, and/or sillicides in cases. It also indicates that TS, relative is along (111) planes, it random (200), (220), (311) planes increase these results correlate qualify those observed SEM.