Abstract
Ta-N films were reactively sputter deposited by dc magnetron sputtering from a Ta target with a various Ar-N, gas ratio. Electrical resistivity of pure Ta film was 150$\mu$$\Omega$cm and decreased initially with nitrogen addition, and then increased to a value of 220$\mu$$\Omega$-cm~260$\mu$$\Omega$-cm at 9%~23% nitrogen partial flow. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry(RBS) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) analysis show that nitrogen content in the film is increased with the nitrogen partial flow. The film contains 58at.% nitrogen at 36% nitrogen partial flow. Both the phase and the microstructure of the as-deposisted films were investigated by x-ray diffractometry(XRD) adn transmission electron microscopy (TEM) at various nitrogen content. The phase of pure Ta film is identified as $\beta$-Ta with a 200$\AA$~300$\AA$ grain size. The phase of Ta film is changed to bcc-Ta as small amount of nitrogen is added. Crystalline Ta2N film was deposited at 24at.% nitrogen content. Amorphous phase is formed over a range of nitrogen content from about 33at.% to 35at.% while crystalline fcc-TaN is observed to form at 39at.%~48at.% nitrogen content.
