Comparison of TiN thin films grown on SiO₂ by reactive dc magnetron sputtering and high power impulse magnetron sputtering

Abstract

Thin TiN films were grown on SiO 2 by a reactive dc magnetron sputtering (dcMS) and high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) at range of temperatures from 45 to 600 o C and the properties compared. The HiPIMS process produces denser films at lower growth temperature than does dcMS and the surface is much smoother for films grown by the HiPIMS process. The grain sizes of both orientations are smaller in HiPIMS grown films than in dcMS grown films. The [200] crystallites have smaller size than the [111] crystallites for all growth temperatures. For the dcMS process the grain size increases with increased growth temperature for both the [111] and [200] crystallites. For the HiPIMS process the [200] grain size increases monotonically with increased growth temperature, whereas the size of the [111] oriented grains decreases to a minimum for growth temperature of 400 o C after which it starts to increase with growth temperature.