Effect of Nitridation Rate on the Composition and Conductivity of Titanium Nitride Films Prepared from Sol–Gel Titania

Abstract

Nitridation of TiO2 films in NH3 was studied as a function of heating rate by 14N(α, α)14N and 16O(α, α)16O nuclear resonance, Auger depth profiling, X‐ray diffraction, and electrical conductivity measurements. TiN films containing minimal amount of oxygen and exhibiting the lowest resistivity were obtained when the fastest nitridation rate (70°C/min) was used. Nitridation at slower rates not only increased the film‐oxygen content and electrical resistivity but also produced an oxygen concentration gradient across the film. Copyright © 1991, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved