AVS 50th International Symposium
    Thin Films Friday Sessions
       Session TF-FrM

Paper TF-FrM7
Characterization of TiN Films Deposited on Electroformed Nickel Substrates

Friday, November 7, 2003, 10:20 am, Room 329

Session: Mechanical Properties of Thin Films
Presenter: M. Telgarsky, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
Authors: M. Telgarsky, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
M.K. Ghantasala, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
E.C. Harvey, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
Y. Wang, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
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The properties of thin films are mainly influenced by that of their substrates viz., the structure and microstructure. This paper describes the results of our investigations in understanding the effect of structure and microstructure of the electroformed Nickel substrate on the growth and properties of deposited TiN films. Nickel substrates were electroformed using two different Nickel sulfamate baths to thicknesses of between 100 and 200 µm. The grain size of these films was estimated to be around 15 to 50 nm. The grain size of the films formed in bath 1 was much larger than grains formed in bath 2. Interestingly, the films plated in bath 1 showed (200) orientation compared to those deposited in bath 2, which exhibited (111) orientation. Further, Nickel plated in bath 1 showed much better crystallinity compared to that deposited in bath 2. After releasing from their substrates, the electroformed Nickel foils were used in turn as substrates for the deposition of TiN thin films using filtered arc deposition (FAD). All films were deposited on the Nickel substrates under the same conditions. The electroformed Nickel and the TiN films were analyzed using Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy (RBS), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Confocal Microscopy for analysis of composition, structure, microstructure and surface profile respectively. The presence of small quantities of oxygen was detected in the electroformed Nickel from both baths. RBS analysis of the TiN films indicated that they were stoichiometric. TiN films deposited at room temperature were nano-crystalline, while those deposited at higher substrate temperatures showed the formation of improved crystalline structures having a (111) or (200) orientation. The grain size of the TiN films varied between 35 to 70 nm and showed a strong dependence on the grain size of Nickel and substrate temperature during deposition. The dependence of the TiN film properties on the Nickel substrate characteristics will be discussed in detail in this paper.