Thin Solid Films, Vol.346, No.1-2, 116-119, 1999
Neutron reflectivity investigation of the effects of harsh environments on Ta2N thin films
We use neutron reflectivity to study the effects of harsh environments on the composition and structure of Ta2N films. We investigated samples with a 700 Angstrom Ta2N layer, annealed in vacuum, hydrogen, and air, in an attempt to simulate the effects of aging on Ta2N thin films. We obtained good model/data fits for all samples studied, with the exception of the air annealed sample - inhomogeneities and cracking reduced the quality of this fit. A 90 Angstrom thick layer of TaHx was found on top of the hydrogen annealed sample, with no evidence of hydrogen enrichment at the Ta2N/SiO2 interface. Furthermore, we found that air annealing produces a similar to 2000 Angstrom thick layer of tantalum oxide.
Keywords:TANTALUM NITRIDE FILMS;FRACTURE