PREPARATION AND MICROSTRUCTURE OF REACTIVELY SPUTTERED TI1-XZRXN FILMS

Thin films of Ti1-xZrxN with various x have been deposited by reactive ly sputtering with a segmental Ti-Zr target in an Ar-N2 mixture under different conditions of total pressure and applied substrate bias. The thin films are characterized from the macro and micro points of view with the use of Auger electron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, electr on probe microanalysis and high resolution field emission scanning ele ctron microscopy. It has been found that the microstructure of the fil ms depends strongly on the deposition conditions such as substrate pos ition, total pressure and applied substrate bias, whereas it is less s ensitive to the composition X. Ti1-xZrxN films are suggested to act as a good diffusion barrier.