Preferential orientation in metal nitride deposited by the UBM system

• Main Authors: Jhon Jairo Olaya, Diana Maritza Marulanda, Sandra Rodil
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidad Nacional de Colombia 2010-01-01
• Series: Ingeniería e Investigación
• Subjects: metal nitride; unbalanced magnetron; UBM; reactive sputtering
• Online Access: https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/ingeinv/article/view/15220

This work was aimed at studying the influence of ion bombardment on the preferred orientation (OP) of transition metal nitrides (TMN) produced by the reactive sputtering technique with a variable unbalanced magnetron through permanent magnets. Tita- nium nitride (TiN) coatings were thus studied by varying two parameters: ion-atom ratio on the substrate (Ji/Ja) and nitrogen flux. Deposition conditions were as follows: 7 mTorr working pressure, ~ 380ºC substrate temperature, 2 and 8.5 sccm nitrogen flux and 245-265 discharge power. The results showed that preferred orientation (111) and the crystalline behaviour of the produced coatings depended more on nitrogen flux than on ion bombardment. Similarly, micro-hardness measured on films deposited on steel AISI-M2 substrates increased from 1600 to 2000 HV0.025 when nitrogen flux was increased.