Evaluation of Poisson's ratio and Young's modulus of nitride films by combining grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and laser curvature techniques

Measurements of Poisson's ratio and the Young's modulus of thin films have been problematic. In this work, evaluation of both Poisson's ratio and Young's modulus is conducted using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction combined with measurement of the induced stress. Poisson's ratio was evaluated from analysis of the X-ray diffraction data to obtain a strain—cos2α·sin2ψ plot. Moreover, the Young's modulus of the films could be also calculated from that plot as well as from the residual stress, which could be determined by a measurement of stress induced substrate curvature. The ternary nitride TiAlN is used as a model system for the evaluation. The films, prepared by cathodic arc plasma deposition, exhibited a strong (111) preferred orientation and a composition corresponding to Ti0.6Al0.4N. The measured Poisson's ratio and the Young's modulus of the films were 0.143 ± 0.003 and 310 ± 20 GPa, respectively, which are comparable to those reported in the literature.