INVESTIGATION OF MAGNETRON-SPUTTERED TITANIUM NITRIDE FILMS USING POSITRON-ANNIHILATION SPECTROSCOPY

Positron annihilation spectroscopy in conjunction with a variable-ener gy beam has been used to investigate the variation of the vacancy-type defect density of titanium nitride films with varying nitrogen concen trations. Decreases in the Doppler-broadened lineshape parameter were observed as the nitrogen partial pressure used in the manufacture of t he samples was increased from 0.01 Pa to 0.1 Pa indicating a decrease in the positron trapping at vacancy defects in this range. It is sugge sted that the positrons are trapped in Ti vacancies with the variation in trapping being due to increasing N-atom migration onto Ti sublatti ce vacancy sites as the nitrogen partial pressure is increased.