The deposition of TiN thin films by nitrogen ion assisted deposition of Ti from a filtered cathodic arc source

• Published in: Surface & coatings technology 1996-12, Vol.86 (1-3), p.271-278
• Main Authors: Martin, P.J., Bendavid, A., Kinder, T.J., Wielunski, L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ambient temperature substrate; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Filtered cathodic arc source; Ion and electron beam-assisted deposition; ion plating; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; N:Ti ratio; Nitrogen ion assisted deposition; Physics; TiN thin film
• ISSN: 0257-8972; 1879-3347
• DOI: 10.1016/S0257-8972(96)02978-7

TiN films are synthesised on ambient temperature substrates by condensing Ti + ions from a filtered cathodic arc source beam under 500 eV N + 2 nitrogen ion bombardment. The film stoichiometry was varied from a N:Ti ratio of 0.8 to 1.2 by controlling the relative arrival rates of Ti and nitrogen ions. The compressive stress in 120 nm thick films deposited onto Si was found to decrease from a maximum of 10 GPa under no ion bombardment to a minimum of 6 GPa for an arrival ratio of 1.0. In the absence of ion bombardment the composition of the films was found to depend on the partial pressure of nitrogen over the range 0.6–2 Pa where the N:Ti ratio changed from 0.3 and saturated at approximately 0.8. Collision cascade models are used to describe the evolution of compressive stress as a function of arrival ratio, the damage depth distribution due to Ti + ions and N + ions and the composition of the TiN films.