Nanoindentation and Microstructural Evolution Studies of DC Magnetron Sputtered Chromium Nitride Thin Films

Abstract

ABSTRACTNanoindentation experiments have been performed to assess the mechanical behavior of chromium nitride (CrxNy) thin films sputtered in different deposition geometries and with varying Ar and N2 pressures. The hardness and elastic modulus of chromium nitrides are of great interest with regard to their applications. In the present work, two different deposition geometries, i.e. multi-substrate and confocal, were used to sputter (DC magnetron) a CrxNy layer on Si (100) wafers at varying nitrogen flow rates. The results of the nanoindentation experiments indicate that, over a similar argon and nitrogen regime, the CrxNy films grown in a multi- substrate geometry exhibit higher hardness and elastic modulus on the average than those grown in the confocal geometry. Furthermore, it was found that in the multi-substrate geometry the hardness and elastic modulus of the films were significantly higher than those in the confocally deposited films for a specific regime of the nitrogen flow rate (10-14 sccm). Finally, observations of the mechanical properties trends could be correlated with a higher degree of anisotropic stress for films grown in the multi-substrate in comparison to the confocal geometry.