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• Deposition and growth of ScN film on crystalline and amorphous substrates. • XPS Study of ScN film oxidation and stability – deposition and post-deposition effects. • Correlation between crystalline quality and oxidation process of ScN films exposed to air. • ScN undergoes quick surface oxidation which follows crystalline defects in the bulk. • Electrical properties, and to a lesser extent optical properties, are impaired by the post-deposition oxidation. Oxidation and hydrolysis are two spontaneous reactions occurring when scandium nitride (ScN) is exposed to air (oxygen and humidity). In order to evaluate the detrimental effect of the oxidation on functional properties of the material, ScN films were prepared under ultrahigh vacuum conditions at 700 °C onto two different substrates; crystalline MgO(0 0 1) and amorphous fused silica. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy analysis was performed to study the oxidation reactions. The study also employed vacuum transferred pristine samples. Crystalline quality and oxidation resistance were found to be strongly correlated. Degradation of electrical and optical properties was observed for polycristalline films prepared on fused silica. On the other hand, highly ordered crystalline films grown on MgO(0 0 1) demonstrated surface passivation preventing further progress of the oxidation. Post-deposition exposure to air was found to be a principal source of the observed oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]