High-resolution Al K alpha and high-photon energy Cr K beta-excited X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of titanium nitride

Samples of titanium nitride were magnetron sputter deposited and transferre d in situ to be studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy using high-ener gy Cr K beta radiation and high-resolution Al K alpha radiation. The determ ination of the Auger parameter of titanium in titanium nitride using the Ti KLL Auger peak has been carried out at a series of compositions using the Cr K beta radiation. The Auger parameter changes by a relatively small amou nt with composition showing that the extra-atomic relaxation in TiNx is sim ilar to that of the metal, and suggests that charge transfer is largely res ponsible for the titanium core level peak shifts. The spectral structure of the N1s photoemission peak at high-energy resolution revealed the developm ent of multiple nitrogen environments at high nitrogen concentration, sugge sting vacancies on the titanium sublattice or a highly defective structure. The various titanium photoelectron and Auger peaks reveal satellites which can be explained either by two or more local environments for the titanium atoms in fee titanium nitride, or by a screening mechanism giving two diff erent peaks for equivalent titanium environments. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.