Effect of deposition and annealing temperature on mechanical properties of TaN film

Tantalum nitride films (TaN) were synthesized by microwave ECR-DC sputtering. The effects of deposition and annealing temperature on mechanical properties of TaN films were investigated. Cross-section pattern, microstructure and binding energy of the films were investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. Mechanical properties were evaluated using nano-indentation and scratch tester. The results showed that the maximal hardness value of approximately 40 GPa was deposited in the TaN sample at 573 K. While the preparation temperature decreased, the hardness, modulus and adhesion of TaN film also decreased. Hardness and modulus also decreased with the increase in annealing temperature. Meanwhile the adhesion strength was also sensitive to the annealing temperature, with a maximum adhesion strength of 40 N measured in the TaN film annealed at 448 K. The results demonstrated that a desirable mechanical property of TaN films deposited by DC reactive magnetron sputtering can be obtained by controlling the deposition and annealing temperature.