XPS characterization of surface and interfacial structure of sputtered TiNi films on Si substrate

TiNi films were prepared by co-sputtering TiNi and Ti targets. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was employed to study surface chemistry of the films and interfacial structure of Si/TiNi system. Exposure of the TiNi film to the ambient atmosphere (23 °C and 80% relatively humidity) facilitated quick adsorption of oxygen and carbon on the surface. With time, carbon and oxygen content increased drastically at the surface, while oxygen diffused further into the layer. After a year, carbon content at the surface became as high as 65.57% and Ni dropped below the detection limit of XPS. Depth profiling revealed that significant inter-diffusion occurred between TiNi film and Si substrate with a layer of 90–100 nm. The detailed bond changes of different elements with depth were obtained using XPS and the formation of titanium silicides at the interface were identified.