Film texture evolution in plasma treated TiN thin films

In semiconductor technology, TiN thin film elements can be used as diffusio n barrier between a metallic layer and a silicon oxide dielectric. Plasma a pplication during the growth of TiN thin films modifies the microstructure of these films and consequently alters their physical properties. But detai ls of the effect of plasma application on the evolution of the film microst ructure and correlations between this evolution and the physical properties are still unclear. To clarify the correlations, the microstructure of a se ries of TiN thin films, deposited using an organometallic chemical vapor de position technique combined with plasma treatments has been analyzed by tra nsmission electron microscopy (TEM). The films were obtained by repeated fa brication sequences consisting of limited film growth followed by the appli cation of a N-2/H-2 gaseous plasma with various powers and duration times a nd are actually stackings of plasma-treated elementary layers. TEM analysis shows that these films are made of nanocrystallites and that whereas cryst allites are randomly oriented when no plasma is applied, short-time plasma treatments induce a tendency to < 200 > texture and longer treatments progr essively rotate the direction of texture to < 220 >. (C) 1999 American Inst itute of Physics. [S0021-8979(99)04816-1].