Structural investigation of ZrN+Si₃N₄ thin films co-deposited by magnetron sputtering

ABSTRACT

Zirconium silicon nitride thin films with 1.6% Si addition were deposited via reactive magnetron sputtering and characterized by RBS, SEM-FEG, GAXRD, XPS and high temperature oxidation tests, aiming to investigate how silicon is structurally inserted in Zirconium nitride (ZrN) matrix. GAXRD results show a reduction in lattice parameter and grain size due to Si incorporation and XPS analyses demonstrate Si is present only in nitride form. Such observations proved the non-formation of substitutional or interstitial solid solution in ZrN, but the presence of Si₃N₄, even in low Si concentrations.

KEYWORDS:

• Thin films
• solid solution
• nitrides
• ZrN
• Si₃N₄
• reactive magnetron sputtering
• ZrSiN,
• XSP analyses

Acknowledgements

The authors want to thank the UFRGS Ionic Implantation Laboratory for RBS analyses and CENANO-INT-RJ for XPS results.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by CNPQ, CAPES and FAPITEC/SE.