STRUCTURE OF TIN FILMS DEPOSITED ON HEATED AND NEGATIVELY BIASED SILICON SUBSTRATES

The structure of TiN films has been studied by X-ray diffraction. The silicon substrates were heated and negatively biased during deposition, the bias voltage was varied between 0 and - 200 V and the temperature between 150 and 900-degrees-C. The variations in the lattice parameter are correlated with oxygen-to-titanium and argon-to-titanium ratios. Oxygen and argon impurities seem to be the main reasons for the stress and the lattice distortion, a low value of the impurity content being correlated with a low value of the lattice distortion. However, our results show that other reasons may be involved, such as structural damage or mismatches between the film and the substrate.