INVESTIGATION OF THE INTERFACE REACTIONS OF TI THIN-FILMS WITH ALN SUBSTRATE

Pure bulk AIN substrates were prepared by hot-pressing to eliminate th e influence of an aid-sintering substance on the interface reactions, AlN thin films were deposited on Si(lll) substrates to decrease the in fluence of charging on the analysis of metal/AlN interfaces with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Thin films of titanium were deposit ed on bulk ALN substrates by e-gun evaporation and ion beam assisted d eposition (IBAD) and deposited on AlN films in situ by e-gun evaporati on. Solid-state reaction products and reaction mechanism of the Ti/AlN system annealed at various temperatures and under LEAD were investiga ted by XPS, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RES). Ti reacted wi th AlN to form a laminated structure in the temperature range of 600 d egrees C to 800 degrees C, The TiAl3 phase was formed adjacent to the AlN substrate, TiN, and Ti4N3-x as well as Ti2N were formed above the TiAl3 layer at the interface, Argon ion bombardment during Ti evaporat ion promoted the interface reactions. No reaction products were detect ed for the sample as-deposited by evaporation. However, XPS depth prof ile of the Ti/AlN/Si sample showed that Ti-N binding existed at the in terface between the AIN thin films and the Ti thin films.