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Nanoindentation and Microstructural Evolution Studies of DC Magnetron Sputtered Chromium Nitride Thin Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2011

A.B. Agarwal ,
B.A. Rainey ,
S.M. Yalisove  and
J.C. Bilello
A.B. Agarwal
Affiliation:
Now at Submicron Development Center in AMD, Sunnyvale, CA
B.A. Rainey
Affiliation:
Now at IBM, Burlington, VT
S.M. Yalisove
Affiliation:
Center for Nanomaterials Science, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
J.C. Bilello
Affiliation:
Center for Nanomaterials Science, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
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Abstract

Nanoindentation experiments have been performed to assess the mechanical behavior of chromium nitride (CrxNy) thin films sputtered in different deposition geometries and with varying Ar and N2 pressures. The hardness and elastic modulus of chromium nitrides are of great interest with regard to their applications. In the present work, two different deposition geometries, i.e. multi-substrate and confocal, were used to sputter (DC magnetron) a CrxNy layer on Si (100) wafers at varying nitrogen flow rates. The results of the nanoindentation experiments indicate that, over a similar argon and nitrogen regime, the CrxNy films grown in a multi- substrate geometry exhibit higher hardness and elastic modulus on the average than those grown in the confocal geometry. Furthermore, it was found that in the multi-substrate geometry the hardness and elastic modulus of the films were significantly higher than those in the confocally deposited films for a specific regime of the nitrogen flow rate (10-14 sccm). Finally, observations of the mechanical properties trends could be correlated with a higher degree of anisotropic stress for films grown in the multi-substrate in comparison to the confocal geometry.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 672: Symposium O – Mechanisms of Surface and Microstructure Evolution in Deposited Films and Film Structures , 2001 , O5.8
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2001

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References

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