TY - JOUR
T1 - Growth of thin films of TiN on MgO(100) monitored by high-pressure RHEED
AU - Pryds, N.
AU - Cockburn, Darrell
AU - Rodrigo, K.
AU - Rasmussen, I. L.
AU - Knudsen, J.
AU - Schou, J.
PY - 2008/11/1
Y1 - 2008/11/1
N2 - Reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) operated at high pressure has been used to monitor the initial growth of titanium nitride (TiN) thin films on single-crystal (100) MgO substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). This is the first RHEED study where the growth of TiN films is produced by PLD directly from a TiN target. At the initial stage of the growth (average thickness ∼2.4 nm) the formation of islands is observed. During the continuous growth the islands merge into a smooth surface as indicated by the RHEED, atomic force microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy. These observations are in good agreement with the three-dimensional Volmer-Weber growth type, by which three-dimensional crystallites are formed and later cause a continuous surface roughening. This leads to an exponential decrease in the intensity of the specular spot in the RHEED pattern as well.
AB - Reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) operated at high pressure has been used to monitor the initial growth of titanium nitride (TiN) thin films on single-crystal (100) MgO substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). This is the first RHEED study where the growth of TiN films is produced by PLD directly from a TiN target. At the initial stage of the growth (average thickness ∼2.4 nm) the formation of islands is observed. During the continuous growth the islands merge into a smooth surface as indicated by the RHEED, atomic force microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy. These observations are in good agreement with the three-dimensional Volmer-Weber growth type, by which three-dimensional crystallites are formed and later cause a continuous surface roughening. This leads to an exponential decrease in the intensity of the specular spot in the RHEED pattern as well.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=54949106143&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=54949106143&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00339-008-4700-2
DO - 10.1007/s00339-008-4700-2
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:54949106143
VL - 93
SP - 705
EP - 710
JO - Applied Physics A: Materials Science and Processing
JF - Applied Physics A: Materials Science and Processing
SN - 0947-8396
IS - 3
ER -