Enhancement of Ta+ flux by substrate biasing during sputter deposition of tantalum–nitrogen films

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A voltage with a negative bias applied to the substrate during sputter deposition of tantalum in argon/nitrogen atmospheres is known to result in films which are more metallic in nature than films sputtered on grounded substrates. In the present study, we investigate the discharges associated with the reactive rf diode sputter deposition of nitrogen-doped tantalum films onto negatively biased substrates. Glow discharge mass spectrometry was used to determine the flux of Ta+/TaN+ species incident on the growing film. We report the enhancement of the Ta+ flux, relative to TaN+, with the application of a negative substrate bias. The changes in film crystallography that are observed, in particular, stabilization of the hexagonal Ta2N phase, as well as a decrease in electrical resistivity, are discussed in terms of this result.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: