TiN Deposition and Process Diagnostics using Remote Plasma Sputtering

Abstract

The discharge voltage–current characteristics and the optical diagnostics of a remote plasma sputtering system called by high density plasma assisted sputtering source (HiPASS) were investigated. The remote plasma was generated by the hollow cathode discharge (HCD) gun and was transported to the target surface by external electromagnet coils. This showed a wide process window because the sputtering voltage and current could be individually controlled. The ion density and energy distribution could be also controlled unlike the conventional magnetron sputtering. Titanium nitride films were deposited under different sputtering voltage. The high voltage mode induced the high ionization ratio of the sputtered atoms and the high ion energy toward the substrate. That resulted in the enlarged grain size, and the preferred orientation toward (220). Eventually, this optimized condition of HiPASS obtained the best hardness of TiN films to be about 48 GPa at the sputtering voltage of -800 V.