Open AccessA study of titanium nitride diffusion barriers between aluminium and silicon by X‐ray absorption spectroscopy: the Si, Ti and N results
Author(s) -
Hu Y. F.,
Sham T. K.,
Zou Z.,
Xu G. Q.,
Chan L.,
Yates B. W.,
Bancroft G. M.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of synchrotron radiation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.172
H-Index - 99
ISSN - 1600-5775
DOI - 10.1107/s0909049500018252
Subject(s) - tin , annealing (glass) , titanium nitride , materials science , aluminium , titanium , silicon , analytical chemistry (journal) , nitride , diffusion barrier , absorption spectroscopy , spectroscopy , absorption edge , layer (electronics) , nanotechnology , chemistry , metallurgy , optics , optoelectronics , band gap , quantum mechanics , physics , chromatography
We report a multi‐element, multi‐edge and multi‐detection mode X‐ray photoabsorption study of a series of Al/TiN x /Si(100) thin films as a function of the TiNx film thickness (100Å‐500Å) and of the annealing temperature (400°C‐600°C). The Si K‐ and L‐edge results show that Si does not diffuse to the surface for all the films. The high resolution Ti L‐edge and N K‐edge spectra show that the TiN x layer undergoes a dramatic chemical reaction with the gradual increase in the annealing temperature. This chemical reaction stabilizes at 560°C at which the TiN x film is known to fail to act as an effective diffusion barrier between Al and Si.