Oxidation kinetics of ZrN thin films

We investigated the oxidation behavior of ZrN thin films in dry O2 with the goal of possible applications of ZrN in metal/oxide/semiconductor integrated circuits. We find the oxidation process to be thermally activated with an activation energy Ea of 2.5±0.1 eV in the temperature range 475-650°C. It is suggested that the oxygen diffusing through the already-grown oxide limits the oxidation rate. X-ray analysis indicates that a mixture of monoclinic and cubic ZrO2 is formed. This mixture persists up to the highest oxidation temperatures used in this study. © 1983.