Abstract
AbstractSputter‐deposited niobium layers containing nitrogen form anodic films with resultant capacitance and leakage current density little influenced by annealing up to 523 K. The nitrogen species incorporated into the anodic oxide films at the alloy/film interface are distributed in the inner 70–75% of the film thickness, with fine bubbles containing high‐pressure N2O gas being evident. Glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES) analysis reveals their continued presence after annealing at 523 K. The insignificant changes in GDOES depth profiles also suggest that the formation of low‐valent oxide at the metal/film interface as a result of annealing is not responsible for the behaviour. For thermal treatments above 400 K, capacitances and leakage currents increase significantly for niobium, with nitrogen additions diminishing the effects. Such behaviour is suggested to arise from suppression of mechanical damage to films through the presence of highly pressurized gas in the inner part of the films. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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