MORPHOLOGY OF EPITAXIAL TIN(001) GROWN BY MAGNETRON SPUTTERING

The evolution of surface morphology and microstructure during growth o f single crystal TiN(001) is characterized by in situ scanning tunneli ng microscopy and postdeposition plan-view transmission electron micro scopy. The TiN layers are grown on MgO at 650 < T < 750 degrees C usin g reactive magnetron sputter deposition in pure N-2. The surface morph ology is dominated by growth mounds with an aspect ratio of similar or equal to 0.006; both the roughness amplitude and average separation b etween mounds approximately follow a power law dependence on film thic kness, t(alpha), with (alpha = 0.25 +/- 0.07. Island edges show dendri tic geometries characteristic of limited step-edge mobility at the gro wth temperature. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.