Structural and magnetic properties of Ni3N synthesized by multidipolar microwave plasma-assisted reactive sputtering

Nickel nitride layers have been synthesized by using microwave plasma-assisted reactive sputtering. In the Ar-N-2 mixture used for the deposition. the At partial pressure was kept constant (0.015 Pa) and the N-2 pressure p(N-2) was chosen between 0.014 and 0.045 Pa. The reactive sputtering assisted by microwave multidipolar plasma appears to be a powerful technique for tailoring the stoichiometry of transition metal nitrides. Physical measurements performed on a stoichiometric nickel nitride Ni3N film deposited prove the non-ferromagnetic behavior of this compound. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier B.V.