Hf-Al-Si-N multilayers deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering from a single Hf0.6Al0.2Si0.2 target using high-flux, low-energy modulated substrate bias : film growth and properties

Hf1−x−yAlxSiyN (0≤x≤0.14, 0≤y≤0.13) single layers and multilayer films are grown on Si(001) at a substrate temperature Ts=250 °C using ultrahigh vacuum magnetically-unbalanced reactive magnetron sputtering from a single Hf0.6Al0.2Si0.2 target in a 5%-N2/Ar atmosphere at a total pressure of 20 mTorr (2.67 Pa). The composition and nanostructure of Hf1−x−yAlxSiyN is controlled during growth by varying the ion energy (Ei) of the ions incident at the film surface, keeping the ion-to-metal flux ratio (Ji/JMe) constant at 8. By sequentially switching Ei between 10 and 40 eV, Hf0.77Al0.10Si0.13N/Hf0.78Al0.14Si0.08N multilayers with bilayer periods Λ = 2-20 nm are grown, in which the Si2p bonding state changes from predominantly Si-Si bonds for films grown at Ei = 10 eV, to mainly Si-N bonds at Ei = 40 eV. Multilayer hardness values increase monotonically from 20 GPa with Λ = 20 nm to 27 GPa with Λ = 2 nm, while multilayer fracture toughness increases with increasing Λ. Multilayers with Λ = 10 nm have the optimized property combination of being bothrelatively hard, H∼24 GPa, and fracture tough.