Atomic layer deposition (ALD) of titanium nitride (TiN) is carried out by the alternate surface reactions of titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) and hydrazine (N2H4) at temperatures ranging from 150 to 350°C. The film deposition process is monitored in situ by quartz piezoelectric microweighing (QPM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIRS). The QPM data detects the self-limiting character of the surface reactions between TiCl4 and N2H4, as well as the linearity of the film growth with the number of cycles at 200 and 225°C. The growth constant of the TiNx film is found to be 0.36 A/cycle at the optimum growth temperature of 275°C. The roughness and density of the 116.3-A-thick film deposited at this temperature are determined to be 7.2 A and 87.5% (of the TiN volume’s density), respectively. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis of these films shows the content of chlorine impurities to be below the instrument’s sensitivity limit (<0.2 аt %) and the oxygen content to be near 14 at %. The X-ray diffraction measurements indicate the cubic polycrystalline structure of these films. The FTIRS method is used for surface deposition chemistry at 200 and 275°C. The possibility of depositing titanium-aluminum nitride (TiAlxNy) films by ALD with trimethylaluminum (TMA) as a precursor is also shown. Films deposited at 275°С are found to contain oxygen and chlorine impurities near 3 and 4 at %, respectively.
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