摘要
Titanium Nitride (TiN x ) thin film has numerous applications in semiconductors, nanotechnology, and various aspects of daily life. This study presents an approach to adjusting the mechanical properties of TiN x ultrathin films, including Young's modulus, residual stress, and coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE), by varying the gas ratio of N 2 and Ar during the Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) process (DC magnetron sputtering). In the experiment, TiN x films with three different gas ratios R N (= N 2 /(N 2 + Ar)) were investigated. To demonstrate the feasibility of this approach, TiN x films with different R N values (0.3, 0.5, and 0.8) were deposited on SiO 2 beams to form composite test cantilevers. Measurements reveal significant changes (ranging from 33 % to 2-fold) in Young's modulus, residual stress, and CTE of the TiN x films by varying the gas ratio during the PVD process. As a result, this study provides a straightforward approach and guidelines for users to tailor TiN x films according to specific application requirements.