Composition and tribological characterization of chemically vapour-deposited TiN layer

Titanium nitride is well known for various applications such as mechanic. microelectronic or jewellery. Physically vapour deposited TIN films are widely studied but very few data are available about chemically vapour-deposited thin films. In the present paper, TiN films of less than 1 mu m thick are deposited by low pressure chemical vapour deposition from the TiCl4-NH3-H-2 gaseous phase onto silicon substrates. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry analyses show that TiN films are always close to the stoichiometry. The contamination levels are very low: less than 3.5% for oxygen and less than 0.1% for chlorine. The density values lie in the range 3.5-4 g cm(-3). Deposited films are very adherent to the substrate as confirmed by micro-scratch tests. Friction coefficient and wear are studied through a pin-on-disc tribometer in air and at room temperature. The common value of 0.2 for friction coefficient is obtained even for films as thin as 120 nm. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.