Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 February 2011
Molybdenum nitride thin film was deposited on silicon wafer with the reactive sputter deposition. γ-Mo2N thin film was obtained with nitrogen content in sputtering gas varying from 10% to 30%. An amorphous structure was observed in the thin film deposited at 50% nitrogen. Crystallinity of Mo-N thin film decreased as the total sputtering gas pressure increased. SEM examinations showed that the surface morphology of Mo-N thin films varies with the nitrogen content in the sputtering gas. The sheet resistivity of as deposited thin film increases with increasing nitrogen content in sputtering gas. The amorphous thin film deposited at 50% nitrogen survived 700°C/5min thermal annealing without obvious crystallization but failed after 800°C/5min thermal annealing, in which the crystalline γ-Mo2N and h-MoSi2 phases were observed. Sheet resistivity measurement showed a decrease in thin film resistivity with increasing thermal annealing temperatures.