TITANIUM NITRIDE DEPOSITED BY HIGH-RATE RF HOLLOW-CATHODE PLASMA-JET REACTIVE PROCESS

A radio frequency hollow cathode plasma jet (RPJ or RHCPJ) with a tubu lar Ti nozzle as a source of metal particles was used for the reactive deposition of TiN. The results of optical emission spectroscopy (OES) , temperature measurements at the active zone of the hollow cathode an d electrical characteristics are correlated with TiN deposition rate a nd with the parameters of films. The abrupt increase of the temperatur e at the target after admission of definite low content of nitrogen is associated with the transition of the system into an are regime (RPJ Arc) which is responsible for the enhanced production of metal particl es and the enhanced ionization in the discharge. This enhancement lead s to the dramatic (20-30 x) enhancement of the TiN growth rate compare d with Ti films. The transition to RPJ-Arc is reflected by non-continu ous change both of the film texture and of the film composition.