Results are presented from a systematic study of the composition, texture, and electrical properties of titanium nitride (TiN) films and their performance as diffusion barrier in multilevel interconnect schemes of ultralarge scale integration (ULSI) computer chip device structures. The films were grown by low temperature (<450 degrees C) inorganic chemical vapor deposition using titanium tetraiodide as source precursor and ammonia and hydrogen as co-reactants. The TW films were nitrogen-rich., with iodine concentrations below 2 atom percent, displayed resistivities in the range 100 to 150 mu Omega cm depending on thickness, and exhibited excellent step coverage with better than 90% conformality in both nominal 0.45 mu m, 3:1 aspect ratio and 0.25 mu m, 4:1 aspect ratio contact structures. A comparison of the properties of chemical vapor deposited (CVD) TiN viiith equivalent physical vapor deposited (PVD) TiN showed that reactivity with Al-0.5 a/o Cu alloys was equivalent in both cases. In particular; a 10% increase in the Al-Cu/Tin stack sheet resistance was observed for both types of TiN after a 450 degrees C, 30 min sinter. Similarly the characteristics of CVD tungsten and renew plug fills were identical on both types of TiN films. However, barrier performance for CVD TiN in aluminum and tungsten plug technologies was superior to that of PVD TiN, as evidenced by lower contact diode leakage for. CVD TiN in comparison with PVD TiN films of equal thickness. This improved barrier performance could be attributed to a combination of factors, which include the nitrogen-rich composition, higher density, and enhanced conformality of the CVD TiN phase in comparison with the PVD TiN. In view of the superior step coverage and diffusion barrier characteristics, the low temperature inorganic CVD route to TiN seems to provide an adequate replacement for conventional PVD TiN in emerging ULSI metallization interconnect schemes.