X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies of thin films of TiNx having different annealing histories

Abstract

TiN thin films prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and annealed in different atmospheres were studied by means of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy in conjunction with Ar ion bombardment. The films contained a high level of oxygen, and an intimate mixture of TiN and titanium oxide was postulated, based on the binding energy (BE) values of the Ti 2p core level photoelectrons. This was further supported by the independent effect of Ar ion bombardment on the two components and the constant nitrogen concentration throughout the film bulk. At this stage it seems unjustified to correlate differences in the Ti 2p spectra of the unsputtered samples with their annealing atmosphere histories, mainly because of the high oxygen content in all the films.