HIGH-FLUX LOW-ENERGY (SIMILAR-OR-EQUAL-TO-20 EV) N-2(+) ION IRRADIATION DURING TIN DEPOSITION BY REACTIVE MAGNETRON SPUTTERING - EFFECTS ON MICROSTRUCTURE AND PREFERRED ORIENTATION

The effects of the incident ion/metal flux ratio (1 less than or equal to J(i)/J(Ti)less than or equal to 15), with the N-2(+) ion energy E(i) constant at similar or equal to 20 eV (similar or equal to 10 eV per incident accelerated N), on the microstructure, texture, and stoichiometry of polycrystalline TiN films grown by ultrahigh-vacuum reactive-magnetron sputtering have been investigated. The layers were deposited in pure N-2 discharges on thermally oxidized Si(001) substrates at 350 degrees C. All films were slightly overstoichiometric with a N/Ti ratio of 1.02+/-0.03 and a lattice constant of 0.4240+/-0.0005 nm, equal to that of unstrained bulk TiN. Films deposited with J(i)/J(Ti)=1 initially exhibit a mixed texture-predominately (111), (002), and (022)-with competitive columnar growth which slowly evolves into a pure (111) texture containing a network of both inter- and intracolumn porosity with an average column size of similar or equal to 50 nm at t=1.6 mu m. In contrast, films grown with J(i)/J(Ti)greater than or equal to 5 do not exhibit competitive growth. While still columnar, the layers are dense with an essentially complete (002) preferred orientation and an average column size of similar or equal to 55 nm from the earliest observable stages. The normalized x-ray diffraction (002) intensity ratio in thick layers increased from similar or equal to 0 to 1 as J(i)/J(Ti) was varied from 1 to greater than or equal to 5. Both 111 and 001 interplanar spacings remained constant as a function of film thickness for all J(i)/J(Ti). Thus, contrary to previous models, strain is not the dominant factor in controlling the development of preferred orientation in these films. Moreover, once film texture is fully evolved-whether it be (002) or (111)-during deposition, changing J(i)/J(Ti) has little effect as preferred orientation becomes controlled by pseudomorphic forces. Film porosity, however, can be abruptly and reversibly switched by increasing or decreasing J(i)/J(Ti). (C) 1995 American Institute of Physics.