| In this work we present the growth of Ti-Cu-N ternary films by a hybrid Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) process. In the configuration used, the metal source was a composite Ti-Cu target, which was ablated by a high-fluence Nd:YAG laser (2nd harmonic, λ=532 nm) in a flowing N2. The process was carried out in a homogeneous electric field with the substrate being at a negative DC potential (bias voltage Vb=-50 V) with respect to the ablation target. Films with the typical gold-like appearance of TiN were grown at PN2~10-1 Pa. The effects of PN2 to the Metal/N ratio and Ti/Cu ratio into the films, as well as the crystal structure of the films were studied employing Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), respectively. The films were found to consist of nanocrystalline TiN and amorphous Cu. Cu did not crystallize even in the Cu-rich films. The N was found to be bonded exclusively with Ti. |
full paper (pdf, 288 Kb)