Titanium nitride prepared by plasma-based titanium-ion implantation

Abstract

By using a titanium dc arc of 70 A with a pulse modulator with specifications of 60 kV/2.5 A/30 μs, titanium nitride (TiN) films were prepared on a silicon substrate (n-n+, [111], 400 μm in thickness) and titanium ions were simultaneously implanted by applying voltages of 20–50 kV of negative polarity to the substrate. The crystal orientation of the film produced by pulsed voltage application in plasma-based ion implantation (PBII) is different from that prepared by applying dc bias of −500 V. It is strongly (200) preferred orientation for PBII, while it is (111) and (220) preferred orientations for the dc bias. The film hardness increases with increasing pulse voltage, and the hardness for the application of −40 kV pulse is almost equal to that for the dc bias. Thus, the hardness maintains the same value while the crystal orientation differs from that for the dc bias.