THE STATE OF RESIDUAL-STRESS IN TIN FILMS MADE BY PHYSICAL VAPOR-DEPOSITION METHODS - THE STATE-OF-THE-ART

Existing transmission electron microscope studies indicate that a variety of lattice defects such as dislocation loops, ultramicrocracking, and trapped argon and its precipitation can be present in thin TiN films, where the precise defects observed in a given sample depend on the deposition conditions of the film. There are also changes in texture and grain size as the film thickness increases. A considerable amount of data has also been reported on the lattice parameters, diffraction peak widths (which indicate the strain distribution), and x-ray diffraction (XRD) residual stress, which are all found to depend strongly on the deposition conditions of TiN films. These properties also change through the thickness of the film. In the present work, existing XRD data and their trends are reviewed, While it is clear that correlations exist between the XRD data and microscopic and microstructural changes, it is not yet possible to relate them to specific microstructural features or lattice defects. The state of residual stress and the strain distribution are different on different planes in a given film. They also appear to be affected by texture and by the nature of the substrate in a way that cannot yet be classified. © 1990, American Vacuum Society. All rights reserved.