POSTDEPOSITION TREATMENTS OF TINX .1. EFFECTS OF ANNEALING ON THE STRUCTURE OF NITROGEN-RICH FILMS

This paper discusses various defects in TiN and related nitrides and t heir repair by heat treatments. X-ray diffractograms of TiN(x) films d eposited on glass substrates with increasing nitrogen content in the p lasma chamber show gradual changes in the structure, from normal TiN(x ) to anomalous films having the CaF2 structure. The differences betwee n the diffractograms of the two types of structure are analysed in vie w of the increased nitrogen content in the deposition chamber. The app arent (111) orientation observed in films obtained with high amounts o f nitrogen in the plasma is explained as an intrinsic feature of the C aF2 structure with very small crystallites. Structural repair was obse rved in all films after heat treatment for 8 h at 500-degrees-C and th e CaF2-type phase transformed into randomly oriented NaCl phase.