PREPARATION AND MICROSTRUCTURE OF REACTIVELY SPUTTERED TI1-XZRXN FILMS

Thin films of Ti1-xZrxN with various x have been deposited by reactively sputtering with a segmental Ti-Zr target in an Ar-N2 mixture under different conditions of total pressure and applied substrate bias. The thin films are characterized from the macro and micro points of view with the use of Auger electron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, electron probe microanalysis and high resolution field emission scanning electron microscopy. It has been found that the microstructure of the films depends strongly on the deposition conditions such as substrate position, total pressure and applied substrate bias, whereas it is less sensitive to the composition X. Ti1-xZrxN films are suggested to act as a good diffusion barrier.