Cross-sectional composition investigations of sputtered tantalum nitride thin films by secondary ion mass spectrometry

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) provides the possibility for cross-sectional composition investigations of thin films. It is a very useful tool for the analysis of changes occurring under technological processes such as oxidation under heat treatment or anodization conditions. In the case of sputtered tantalum nitride films the results of SIMS analyses show that the really conductive part of the film is the middle section and that is bordered on both sides by insulator-like layers. These results confirm the conclusions of our earlier investigations. The SIMS spectra also show that during oxidation the concentration of the tantalum nitride in the outer layer decreases.