TY - GEN
T1 - Fabrication and characterization of nanostructured Ta-Si-N films
AU - Chung, C. K.
AU - Chen, T. S.
AU - Peng, C. C.
AU - Wu, Bo-Hsiung
PY - 2007/8/28
Y1 - 2007/8/28
N2 - In this paper, the morphology and properties of nanostructured Ta-Si-N thin films fabricated by reactively cosputtering have been studied. The Ta-Si-N film is a mixed composite consisting of the Ta-Si, Ta-N and Si-N compounds. The TaN phase is polycrystalline while SiNx is amorphous. As Si is added to the Ta-N compound to form Ta-Si-N, the microstructure becomes nanocrystalline grains embedded in an amorphous matrix i.e. amorphous-like microstructure, which is also affected by the nitrogen flow ratio i.e. FN2 %= FN2/( FN2+FAr) x 100% during sputtering. Amorphous-like TaSi-N films obtained at small FN2% of 2-10% had smaller roughness, lower resistivity and larger nanohardness compared to polycrystalline films at high FN2% of 20- 30%. The variation of Ta-Si-N microstructure leads to the different electrical and mechanical properties of films. The electric resistivity of Ta-Si-N increases with increasing FN2% while the nanohardness first increases to a maximum of 15.19 GPa from FN2% of 2% to 3%, then decreases with increasing FN2%. The higher hardness in amorphous-like Ta-Si-N exhibits a larger stiffness and resilience than polycrystalline one.
AB - In this paper, the morphology and properties of nanostructured Ta-Si-N thin films fabricated by reactively cosputtering have been studied. The Ta-Si-N film is a mixed composite consisting of the Ta-Si, Ta-N and Si-N compounds. The TaN phase is polycrystalline while SiNx is amorphous. As Si is added to the Ta-N compound to form Ta-Si-N, the microstructure becomes nanocrystalline grains embedded in an amorphous matrix i.e. amorphous-like microstructure, which is also affected by the nitrogen flow ratio i.e. FN2 %= FN2/( FN2+FAr) x 100% during sputtering. Amorphous-like TaSi-N films obtained at small FN2% of 2-10% had smaller roughness, lower resistivity and larger nanohardness compared to polycrystalline films at high FN2% of 20- 30%. The variation of Ta-Si-N microstructure leads to the different electrical and mechanical properties of films. The electric resistivity of Ta-Si-N increases with increasing FN2% while the nanohardness first increases to a maximum of 15.19 GPa from FN2% of 2% to 3%, then decreases with increasing FN2%. The higher hardness in amorphous-like Ta-Si-N exhibits a larger stiffness and resilience than polycrystalline one.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34548135247&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=34548135247&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/NEMS.2007.352001
DO - 10.1109/NEMS.2007.352001
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:34548135247
SN - 1424406102
SN - 9781424406104
T3 - Proceedings of the 2nd IEEE International Conference on Nano/Micro Engineered and Molecular Systems, IEEE NEMS 2007
SP - 308
EP - 311
BT - Proceedings of the 2nd IEEE International Conference on Nano/Micro Engineered and Molecular Systems, IEEE NEMS 2007
T2 - 2007 2nd IEEE International Conference on Nano/Micro Engineered and Molecular Systems, IEEE NEMS 2007
Y2 - 16 January 2007 through 19 January 2007
ER -