Manufacturing and irradiation of thin transition metal nitride films

Abstract

Thin iron and nickel nitride films were produced by reactive magnetron sputtering. The influence of the deposition parameters on the properties of the films was investigated in detail using a combination of analyzing methods. Ion beam analysis (Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy, Resonant Nuclear Reaction Analysis and Time Of Flight Elastic Recoil Detection and Analysis) was employed for measuring the composition and the thickness of the layers. Especially for nitride coatings these techniques allow a fully resolved determination of the elemental and isotopic distribution. The phase and structural analyses was monitored by means of Mössbauer spectroscopy, X-Ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. In addition, Atomic Force Microscopy obtained the information about the surface topography. The magnetron sputtering showed to be a complex process composed a several nonlinear effects varying deposition chamber pressure, substrate temperature, RF power and substrate! bias voltage radically changed the compostion and other properties of the thin films. After successful preparation and characterization of the nitrides, ion-beam induced atomic transport through interface of Ni3N/Si bilayers was studied as a function of the irradiation conditions. The Xe ion fluence and bombarding energy were varied. Irradiations were performed athermally at 80 K as well as at room temperature in order to detect the thermally activated radiation-enhanced diffusion. By the above mentioned analyzing method where the cascade mixing dominates the transport process. Of special interest in this work was the influence of the chemical driving forces on the broadening rate.