Published May 8, 2006 | Version v1
Journal article Metadata-only

Epitaxial stabilization of cubic-SiNx in TiN/SiNx multilayers

Creators

  • 1. CEIT and TECNUN, Paseo de Manuel Lardizabal 15, 20018 San Sebastian (Spain)
  • 2. Thin Film Physics Division, IFM, Linkoeping University, SE-581 83 Linkoeping (Sweden)
  • 3. Ombenning by 14, SE-737 90 Aengelsberg (Sweden)
  • 4. Division of Engineering Materials, Luleaa University of Technology, SE-971 87 Luleaa (Sweden)

Description

The formation of cubic-phase SiNx is demonstrated in TiN/SiNx multilayers deposited by reactive dual magnetron sputtering. Transmission electron microscopy examination shows a transition from epitaxially stabilized growth of crystalline SiNx to amorphous growth as the layer thickness increases from 0.3 to 0.8 nm. The observations are supported by ab initio calculations on different polytypes, which show that the NaCl structure has the best lattice match to TiN. Calculations also reveal a large difference in elastic shear modulus between NaCl-SiNx and TiN. The results for phase structure and shear modulus offer an explanation for the superhardening effect determined by nanoindentation experiments

Additional details

Identifiers

DOI
10.1063/1.2202145;

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Applied Physics Letters
Journal Volume
88
Journal Issue
19
Journal Page Range
p. 191902-191902.3
ISSN
0003-6951
CODEN
APPLAB

INIS

Country of Publication
United States
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
37083586
Subject category
S36: MATERIALS SCIENCE;
Descriptors DEI
AMORPHOUS STATE; CRYSTAL GROWTH; CUBIC LATTICES; HARDENING; LAYERS; SILICON NITRIDES; SODIUM CHLORIDES; SPUTTERING; STABILIZATION; THICKNESS; TITANIUM NITRIDES; TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY; VAPOR PHASE EPITAXY
Descriptors DEC
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS; CHLORIDES; CHLORINE COMPOUNDS; CRYSTAL GROWTH METHODS; CRYSTAL LATTICES; CRYSTAL STRUCTURE; DIMENSIONS; ELECTRON MICROSCOPY; EPITAXY; HALIDES; HALOGEN COMPOUNDS; MICROSCOPY; NITRIDES; NITROGEN COMPOUNDS; PNICTIDES; SILICON COMPOUNDS; SODIUM COMPOUNDS; TITANIUM COMPOUNDS; TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS

Optional Information

Notes
(c) 2006 American Institute of Physics