Copper nitride films produced by reactive pulsed laser deposition

Deposition of copper nitride films is of importance due to its technological applications. Copper nitride thin films are deposited by reactive pulsed laser deposition (nitrogen environments) on silicon substrates at room temperature. The resultant films are in situ characterized by Auger.(AES), X-Ray Photoelectron (XPS) and Reflection Electron Energy Loss spectroscopies (REELS). The chemical bond is strongly linked to the stoichiometry, and both can be controlled by the deposition pressure. The mass density achieved for Cu3N is 5.91 g cm(-3), close to the theoretical value of 5.84 g cm(-3). We conclude that this deposition method offers a means for fine-tuning the properties of copper nitride. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.