Optical and chemical characterization of thin TiNx films deposited by DC-magnetron sputtering

Thin titanium nitride (TiNx) films were deposited on silicon substrates by means of a reactive DC-magnetron plasma. Layers were synthesized under various conditions of discharge power and nitrogen flows in two operation modes of the magnetron (the so-called “balanced” and “unbalanced” modes). The optical constants of the TiNx films were investigated by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to determine the relative atomic concentration and chemical states of the TiNx films. The density and thickness of the films have been investigated by means of grazing incidence X-ray reflectometry (GIXR). The results of the layer analyses were combined with plasma investigations carried out by means of energy resolved mass spectrometry (ERMS) under the same conditions. It is shown that the magnetron mode has a clear influence on the titanium deposition rate and the incorporation of nitrogen into the layers.