A filtered cathodic are source has been used to deposit thin films of
titanium nitride, The properties of the films are influenced by the na
ture of the condensation process, TiN films may be deposited directly
onto heated substrates in a nitrogen atmosphere or onto unbiased subst
rates at ambient temperature by condensing the Ti+ ion beam under 500
eV N-2(+) nitrogen ion bombardment, In the latter case, the film stoic
hiometry was varied from an N:Ti ratio of 0.8 to 1.2 by controlling th
e relative arrival rates of Ti and nitrogen ions, Simple models are us
ed to describe the evolution of compressive stress as a function of ar
rival ratio and the composition of the N-2(+) ion-assisted TiN films.