DEPOSITION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NONCONDUCTING SILICON-NITRIDE, ALUMINUM NITRIDE AND TITANIUM ALUMINUM NITRIDE THIN-FILMS

Dielectric thin films of silicon nitride and aluminum nitride were dep osited by r.f. and d.c. magnetron reactive sputtering respectively. Ti tanium-aluminum nitride thin films were prepared by d.c.-r.f. magnetro n reactive sputtering codeposition. Different film compositions and ch aracteristics were obtained by varying the parameters of the sputterin g deposition. The films were characterized by means of Rutherford back scattering spectrometry, nuclear reaction analysis and X-ray diffracti on. From these analytical techniques, we obtained the thicknesses, the stoichiometric ratios N/Si, N/Al, Al/Ti and N/(Al + Ti), the depth pr ofiles of these different elements, the contamination levels of O and C, as well as the crystalline structure of the films.