Specific Process Knowledge/Thin film deposition/Deposition of Tungsten Nitride
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Tungsten Nitride (WNx)
Tungsten nitride (WNₓ, commonly W₂N or δ‑WN) is a refractory ceramic that combines very high melting temperature, extreme hardness, chemical inertness, and good electrical conductivity in a composition‑tunable, CMOS‑compatible matrix. Thin films are produced chiefly by reactive magnetron sputtering—where nitrogen flow and substrate temperature set stoichiometry and phase—and by e‑beam evaporation of tungsten in a reactive nitrogen ambient, yielding dense layers with controllable resistivity and stress. In semiconductor process flows, WNₓ acts as a robust Cu diffusion barrier/liner, hard mask, gate or contact material, and precision thin‑film resistor; its high absorption coefficient also makes it the standard absorber layer in EUV lithography photomasks and a candidate for x‑ray mask blanks. Optically, WN-based stacks offer durable, high-temperature plasmonic and thermally emissive coatings, mid-IR absorbers, and multilayer structures for soft-x-ray mirrors and synchrotron beamline optics, delivering stability far beyond noble metals under extreme photon flux. Beyond electronics and photonics, the material’s wear and oxidation resistance support MEMS springs, high‑temperature sensors, and corrosion‑resistant coatings, while select WN phases become superconducting below roughly 3–5 K, enabling niche low‑loss microwave resonators and detector elements that benefit from its mechanical robustness and diffusion‑barrier capability.
Deposition of Scandium Nitride
Deposition of ScN can only be done by reactive sputtering using Sc target.
The only tool for this application is the Cluster-based multi-chamber high vacuum sputtering deposition system, commonly referred to as the 'Cluster Lesker.' The operating process is thoroughly documented and described in detail.:
- Deposition of Scandium Nitride (ScN) using reactive sputtering in Sputter-System Metal-Nitride(PC3) Source 1 (4-inch target)
At the moment (October 2023) we have a 4-inch Sc target (0.250" thick, bonded to Cu) for PC3 Src1.