Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-tj2md Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T21:11:08.390Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Heteroepitaxial Growth of Transition-Metal Nitride Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 February 2011

M. Shinn ,
P.B. Mirkarimi  and
S.A. Barnett
M. Shinn
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. 60208
P.B. Mirkarimi
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. 60208
S.A. Barnett
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. 60208
Get access

Abstract

The nucleation of epitaxial transition-metal nitride films with different lattice mismatch and growth of the corresponding supcrlattices were studied. In-situ Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) was used to characterize the nucleation mechanisms of V0.3Nb0.7N films on TiN (1.7% mismatch), TiN films on VN (2.4% mismatch), TiN films on NbN (3.6% mismatch), NbN films on VN (5.7% mismatch), and VN films on NbN grown by ultra-high vacuum reactive magnetron sputtering. The initial growth mechanism was layer-by-layer for mismatch values up to 3.6%, but three-dimensional island nucleation occurred for 5.7% mismatch. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) observations of NbN films showed threedimensional islands, confirming the AES results. X-ray diffraction spectra from the corresponding superlattices showed strong superlattice reflections except for the large-mismatch NbN/VN combination. Cross-sctional transmission electron microscopy studies showed that the superlattice layers were.velldefined and planar for low mismatch, but were irregular and non-planar for VN/NbN, in agreement with the X-ray, AES, and STM results. The maximum lattice mismatch for epitaxial nitride superlattice growth was thus limited by island nucleation and in the range from 3.6 - 5.7%.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 263: Symposium F – Mechanisms of Heteroepitaxial Growth , 1992 , 29
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1992

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Barnett, S.A., “Deposition and Mechanical Properties of Superlattice Thin Films”, in Physics of Thin Films, edited by Vossen, J.L. and Francobe, M., in press.Google Scholar
2. Greer, A.L. and Spaepen, F.. Ch. 11 in Synthetic Modulated Structures, edited by Chang, L.L. and Giessen, B.C. (Academic Press, New York, 1985).Google Scholar
3.see, for example, Snyder, C.W., Orr, B.G., Kessler, D., and Sander, L.M., Phy. Rev. Lett. 66, 3032 (1991).Google Scholar
4. Mirkarimi, P.B., Hultman, L., and Barnett, S.A., Appl. Phys. Lett. 57, 2654 (1990).Google Scholar
5. Helmersson, U., Todorova, S., Barnett, S.A., Markert, L.C., and Greene, J.E., J. Appl. Phys. 62, 481 (1987).Google Scholar
6. Shinn, M., Hultman, L., and Barnett, S.A., J. Mater, Res. 7, 901 (1992).Google Scholar
7. Gray, K.E., Kampwirth, R.T., Murduck, J.M., and Capone, D.W. II, Physica C 152, 445 (1988)Google Scholar
8. Shinn, M., Hong, B.-S., and Bamett, S.A., unpublished.Google Scholar
9. Mirkarimi, P.B., Barnett, S.A., Hubbard, K.M., Jervis, T.R., and Hultman, L., unpublished.Google Scholar
10. Benesovsky, F., Kieffer, R., and Ettmayer, P., “Nitrides” in Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, Vol. 15, 3rd ed. (John Wiley, New York, 1981).Google Scholar
11. Jackson, D.C., Gallon, E., and Chambers, A., Surface Sci. 36, 381 (1973).Google Scholar
12. Mirkarimi, P.B., Shinn, M., and Barnett, S.A., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A10, 75 (1992).Google Scholar
13. Somorjai, G.A., Ch.2 in Chemistry in Two -Dimensions: Surfaces, edited by Somorjai, G.A. (Cornell University Press, Ithaca, 1981).Google Scholar
14. Venables, J.A., Spiller, G.D.T., and Hanbucken, M., Rep. Prog. Phys. 47, 399 (1984).Google Scholar
15. Spencer, B.J., Voorhees, P.W., Davis, S.H., Phys. Rev. Lett. 67, 3696 (1991).Google Scholar
16. Choi, C.-H., Ai, R., and Barnett, S.A., Phys. Rev. Lett. 67, 2826 (1991).Google Scholar