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We report on the deposition of thin transition metal nitride (TMN) films by ablating Mo, Ta, V and W targets in low-pressure (1, 10 and 100 Pa) nitrogen atmosphere by KrF excimer laser pulses, and on their characterization. The targets were foils of high purity (99.8%). 3" Si(111) wafers wre used as substrates. Film characteristics (composition, crystalline structure, hardness) were studied as a function of N2 pressure, KrF laser fluence (4.5-19 J/cm2), substrate temperature (20-750°C) and target to substrate distance (30-70 mm). Rutherford backscattering spectrometery (RBS) was used to calculate thickness of the films and identification of the composition. TMN films ar formed already at low N2 ambient pressures (1 Pa) and laser fluences (6 J/cm2) on substrates at room temperature. XRD investigations show that films deposited at elevated temperatures are mostly polycrystalline. While Mo, W and Ta nitrides show respectively a γ-Mo2N, β-W2N and δ-TaN phase in almost any deposition condition, vanadium nitride shows a prevalent phase of δ-VN at N2 pressures of 1-10 Pa, while at higher pressures (100 Pa) and at relatively high laser fluences (16-19 J/cm2) the dominant phase is β-V2N. Generally the crystallinity of the films improves by increasing the substrate temperature. Well-crystallinzed films are obtained on substrates heated at 500°C. Surface morphology, microhardness and electrical resistivity of the films are discussed as a function of both the nitrogen pressure and substrate temperature.
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