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Preparation and characterization of CuN-based ternary alloy films using Cr or Zr for stabilizing N

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Abstract

The surface hardening of Cu is an effective way to keep good electrical conductivity and increase chemical inertness. Here, Cr and Zr are introduced into Cu films to stabilize N and increase the film hardness. CuN-based alloy films are prepared on single-crystal Si(100) substrates using magnetron sputtering. Cu(Cr, N) films are mainly composed of Cu and Cr2N nanocrystals while Cu and Zr2N nanocrystals compose Cu(Zr, N) films. The thermal stability of the ternary films comes from the strong interaction between Cr (or Zr) and N which is contributing to the generation of stable nitrides. In terms of resistivity and hardness, the Cu(Cr, N) and Cu(Zr, N) films prepared at the N2/Ar ratio of 1/10 show preferable properties. Especially, the Cu86.1Zr6.1N7.8 film exhibits the highest hardness (∼4.7 GPa) and lowest resistivity (63.6 µΩ·cm). The chemical inertness of Cu film can also be improved by adding Cr–N and Zr–N. These ternary films are expected to apply for Cu surface nitrogenization.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51271045) and the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China (Grant No. BK20131138).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion, and Electron Beams (Ministry of Education), Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning, 116024, China

    Yuehong Zheng, Xiaona Li, Yubo Liu, Wei Sun & Chuang Dong

  2. Changzhou Institute of Dalian University of Technology, Changzhou, Jiangsu, 213164, China

    Xiaona Li & Chuang Dong

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  1. Yuehong Zheng
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  2. Xiaona Li
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  3. Yubo Liu
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  4. Wei Sun
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Correspondence to Xiaona Li.

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Zheng, Y., Li, X., Liu, Y. et al. Preparation and characterization of CuN-based ternary alloy films using Cr or Zr for stabilizing N. Journal of Materials Research 32, 1333–1342 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2017.62

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2017.62

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