Characterization of HfB_x films deposited by r.f. diode and r.f. magnetron sputtering

Abstract

The electrical resistivity, microstructure and X-ray photoemission spectra of approximately 1000 Å thick HfBx films deposited by r.f. diode and r.f. magnetron sputtering are reported. The resistivity of these films was found to depend strongly on the oxygen impurity but not on the boron concentration in the film. An increase in the x value from 1 to 5 was shown to increase the film resistivity by less than a factor of 2, but an increase in the oxygen impurity concentration from 0.3% to 0.6% was found to increase the film resistivity by nearly a factor of 10. The oxygen impurity concentration in the film was estimated from Auger electron spectroscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry depth profiles of films deposited with various oxygen partial pressures. The presence of HfB2 in the film was confirmed using X-ray diffraction and selected area electron diffraction techniques. The binding energies of Hf4f 7 2 and B 1 s transitions for HfB2 were found to be 14.4 ± 0.2eV and 187 ± 0.2eV respectively. © 1988.