Synthesis and characterization of tantalum nitride films prepared by cathodic vacuum arc technique

Tantalum nitride films were deposited on silicon wafer and steel substrates by cathodic vacuum arc in N2/Ar gas mixtures. The chemical composition, crystalline microstructure and morphology of the films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. According to the results, film composition and microstructure depends strongly on the N2 partial pressure and the applied negative bias (Vs).