Surface Characteristics of MoN x Thin Films Obtained by Reactive rf Magnetron Sputtering in UHV System

Molybdenum nitride ( MoN x ) thin films were deposited on p‐type Si(1 0 0) wafer using reactive radio frequency magnetron sputtering at various nitrogen gas ratios in an ultra high vacuum ( UHV ) system. Two metallic phases, Mo(1 1 0) and Mo(2 1 1), were detected from the film obtained without nitrogen gas in the sputter gas. The thickness of the films measured with a surface profiler decreased from 186.0 to 21.5 nm with increasing nitrogen gas ratio in the sputter gas from 0 to 100%, respectively. From the X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy ( XPS ) analysis, Mo species were further oxidized by the addition of nitrogen gas in the sputter gas. As nitrogen gas was introduced, the portion of Mo 4+ species decreased while those of Mo 5+ and Mo 6+ species increased. As the nitrogen gas ratio in the sputter gas increased, the formation of MoN x thin films was confirmed by N 1s XPS spectra. The conductivity decreased from 927.7 to 97.1 S/cm with 0 and 100% of nitrogen gas ratio, respectively.