Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition of Titanium Aluminum Nitride Films

• Published in: Chemistry of materials 1999-12, Vol.11 (12), p.3490-3496
• Main Authors: Scheper, Joseph T, Mesthrige, Kapila Wadu, Proscia, James W, Liu, Gang-Yu, Winter, Charles H
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemical vapor deposition (including plasma-enhanced cvd, mocvd, etc.); Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Physics
• ISSN: 0897-4756; 1520-5002
• DOI: 10.1021/cm990157u

The atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition of titanium aluminum nitride films was accomplished using a three-precursor system comprised of titanium tetrachloride, tert-butylamine, and trimethylaluminum at a substrate temperature of 600 °C. Smooth, specular, and highly adherent violet-black films were obtained. The aluminum content of the films varied with trimethylaluminum flow rate up to a maximum aluminum/titanium ratio of about 1:1. Higher aluminum flow rates afforded rough, poorly adherent coatings. Films having the compositions Ti0.83Al0.17N0.89, Ti0.69Al0.31N0.85, and Ti0.52Al0.48N1.38 were analyzed in detail. The films were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and resistivity measurements. The films were subjected to nanoindentation hardness testing and high-temperature oxidation studies. The Ti1 - x Al x N films were found to be harder and more resistant to oxidation by ambient atmosphere than TiN films deposited from titanium tetrachloride and tert-butylamine at 600 °C. The dependence of the film properties on the aluminum content is discussed.