Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of Thickness and Annealing on Stress in Tantalum and Tantalum Nitride Thin Film Hard Coatings

  • Published:
MRS Online Proceedings Library Aims and scope

Abstract

An understanding of the relationship between stress and the other properties of thin films is extremely useful in the design of hard coatings for long term performance. In our earlier study, sputtered Ta and Ta(N) films were found to exhibit promising hard coating properties. For example, nano hardness as high as 30 GPa was observed in the nitride (pN2 = 0.100 mTorr) films. In this work, we study the variation in the stress in these films with respect to film thickness and annealing. Films in six different thicknesses (50, 250, 350, 500, 750, and 1000 nm) were deposited on oxide coated Si (111) wafers. Stresses in the films in the as-deposited state and as a function of temperature (300°C) were determined using a thin film stress measuring unit.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. P. S. Alexopoulos and T. C. O’Sullivan, Annu. Rev. Mater. Sci., 20, p. 391 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. J. A. Thornton and D. W. Hoffman, Thin Solid Films, 171, p. 5 (1989).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. W. D. Nix, Met. Trans. A, Vol. 20A, p. 2217 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. E. Klockholm and B. S. Berry, J. Electrochem Soc., Vol. 115, No.8, p. 823 (1968).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. W. Buckel, J. Vac. Sci. Technol., Vol. 6, No. 4, p. 606 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. D. S. Campbell in R. Niedermayer and H. Mayers (eds.), Basic Problems in Thin Film Physics, Vandenhoeck and Ruprecht, Gottingen, p. 223 (1966).

    Google Scholar 

  7. R. W. Hoffman, in G. Hass and R. E. Thun (eds.), Physics of Thin Films, Vol. 3, Academic Press, New York, p. 211 (1966).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Koreo Kinosita, Thin Solid Films, 12, p. 17 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. R. Koch, J. Phys. Condens. Matter, 6, p. 9519 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. J. A. Thornton and D. W. Hoffman, J. Vac. Sci. Technol., 14, p. 164 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. J. A. Thornton and D. W. Hoffman, Thin Solid Films, 45, p. 387 (1977).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. D. W. Hoffman and J. A. Thornton, J. Vac. Sci. Technol., 17, p. 380 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. F. M. d’Heurle, Met. Trans., Vol. 1, p. 725 (1970).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. D. W. Hoffman and J. A. Thornton, Thin Solid Films, 40, p. 40 (1977).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. F. A. Doljack and R. W. Hoffman, Thin Solid Films, 12, p. 71 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. S. J. Bull ans D. S. Rickerby, Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc., Vol. 188, p. 337 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. R. Saha, R. B. Inturi, and J. A. Barnard, Surface and Coatings Technol., (in press) (1995).

  18. W. C. Oliver and G. M. Pharr, J. Mater. Res., Vol. 7, No. 6, p. 1564 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. B. D. Cullity, Elements of X-ray Diffraction, 2nd edition, Addison-Wesseley Publishing Co., Inc., Reading, Massachussetts (1978), p. 102.

    Google Scholar 

  20. D. W. Hoffman and J. A. Thornton, J. Vac. Sci. Technol., Vol. 20, No. 3, p. 355 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. A. Mutscheller, L. A. Clevenger, J. M. E. Harper, C. Cabral Jr., and K. Barmak, Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc., Vol. 239, p. 51 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. P. R. Stuart, Vacuum, Vol. 19, No. 11, p. 507 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. C. Cabral Jr., L. A. Clevenger, and R. G. Schad, Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc., Vol. 308, p. 57 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. P. Chaudhari, J. Vac. Sci. Technol., Vol. 9, No. 1, p. 520 (1971).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Donald S. Gardner and Paul A. Flinn, J. Appl. Phys., Vol. 67, No. 4, p. 1831 (1990).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Paul A. Flinn, J. Mater. Res., Vol. 6, No. 7, p. 1498 (1991).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487-0202, USA

    Ranjana Saha, Rama B. Inturi & John A. Barnard

Authors
  1. Ranjana Saha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Rama B. Inturi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. John A. Barnard
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Saha, R., Inturi, R.B. & Barnard, J.A. Effect of Thickness and Annealing on Stress in Tantalum and Tantalum Nitride Thin Film Hard Coatings. MRS Online Proceedings Library 436, 529–534 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-436-529

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-436-529

Search

Navigation