151. Diffusion of TiN into aluminum films measured by soft x-ray spectroscopy.
- Author
-
Schuler, T. M., Ederer, D. L., Ruzycki, N., Glass, G., Hollerman, W. A., Moewes, A., Kuhn, M., and Callcott, T. A.
- Subjects
ALUMINUM films ,TITANIUM nitride ,GRENZ rays - Abstract
Understanding the atomic bonding properties at the interface between thin films is crucial to a number of key modern technical devices, including integrated circuits, magnetic disk read/write heads, batteries, and solar cells. Semi-conducting materials such as titanium nitride (TiN[sub x]) are widely used in the manufacturing of modern electronics, requiring a wealth of information about its electronic structure. We present data from soft x-ray emission and absorption experiments involving a sample consisting of a 40 nm TiN layer on top of an aluminum film 550 nm thick. Soft x-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) and near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy are tools that provide a non-destructive, atomic site-specific probe of the interface, where the electronic structure of the material can be mapped out element by element. From these measurements, we show that the Ti and the N diffuse into the Al film to form an equivalent material depth of about 4.5 nm, and the NEXAF structure reveals that the nitrogen has probably formed AlN, and the Ti has also diffused to form a titanium-aluminum compound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2001