In-situ study of high temperature stability and optical properties of aluminum-titanium oxynitride thin films

Aluminum-titanium oxynitride AlTiO(x)N(y) thin films were investigated in order to understand the influence of the oxygen/nitrogen ratio on the optical properties and their failure mechanisms at high temperatures. The optical properties of oxynitride thin films as well as their high temperature stability showed a wide range of different responses according the oxygen/nitrogen ratio and the deposition pressure. AlTiO(x)N(y) thin films were deposited by cathodic vacuum arc and characterized at different temperatures to follow the temperature dependence of the composition and the optical constants. The samples were heated in vacuum from room temperature up to 800°C inside a multi-chamber cluster tool and the analysis of the thin films was carried out in-situ without intermittent sample exposure to air. Ellipsometry and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) results showed the influence of the as-deposited oxygen content in the sample with the inward diffusion of oxygen into the coating and therefore oxidation resistance at high temperatures. Likewise, ex-situ annealing in air was performed to compare the results observed when exposed to ambient conditions. The low emittance properties of AlTiO(x)N(y) enabled in-situ RBS analysis at temperatures higher than 750°C. No significant changes of the optical properties and composition were found when heating in vacuum demonstrating excellent stability at high temperatures.