A comprehensive study on the surface tribology of Ta thin film using molecular dynamics simulation: The effect of TaN interlayer, power and temperature

Molecular dynamics simulations (MD) was carried out to investigate the surface nano-tribology of grown Ta sputtered thin films on stainless steel with and without TaN interlayer. Ta and TaN films were deposited by magnetron sputtering technique at different temperatures. Argon and nitrogen mixture gas was used to create TaN interlayer. Using AFM technique, the surface of sputtered thin films was characterized. MD simulation results were validated by experimental results and a good consistency was observed the two techniques. The effects of TaN interlayer and process parameters were investigated. The results showed that the surface roughness can be remarkably improved by using a TaN seed layer. Higher sputtering powers at lower temperatures provide the best condition to produce smoother Ta films.