Characterization of titanium nitride films deposited by cathodic are plasma technique on copper substrates

TiN films were deposited directly on Cu substrates by a cathodic are plasma deposition technique. The films were then characterized by X-ray diffracti on (XRD), grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GID), (TEM), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The preferr ed orientation of the film changed from (200) to (111) with increasing film thickness. Analyses of both the XRD and GID results showed that in the hig hly (111) textured grains, the (111) plane was approximately parallel to th e film surface, while in the (200) textured grains, the (300) plane was til ted away from the film surface. Small-elongated crystallites with a large a spect ratio and textured grains were found on the TIN surface. AES, which w as employed to examine the concentration depth profile, showed no apparent interdiffusion between Cu and TIN during the growth of the him. XPS results showed that amorphous TiO2, as well as titanium oxynitride, was present on the TiN surface. The spectra of Ti-2p, N-1s, O-1s and Cu-2p before and aft er the him being sputter etched through the entire film region were also di scussed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.