Ultrathin titanium nitride layers grown on three different dielectrics were studied to examine how low-energy ions change the chemical composition at and near their interface. Comparisons were made by growing titanium nitride under similar conditions both with (ion-assisted) and without (reactive) nitrogen ions. Although the chemical reactions between the titanium nitride and the three dielectrics under both growth conditions depend on the type of dielectric used, a few general observations were seen. In comparison with the reactively grown samples, all of the ion-assisted growths show a significant increase in the amount of nitride in the titanium nitride layer at and near the titanium nitride/dielectric interface. Moreover, the amount of chemical binding between the titanium nitride and dielectric is increased when low-energy ions are used. Finally, by using angle resolved x-ray photoemission it was determined that the enhancement in the deposition process from low-energy ions occurs without inducing significant intermixing between the titanium nitride layer and the dielectric.