The effect of substrate temperature on the nano-structural properties of ZrN layer

In this study the effect of substrate temperature on the structural properties of zirconium nitride (ZrN) coatings prepared by ion beam sputtering on the glass and silicon substrates was investigated. Rutherford Back Scattering (RBS) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analyses were performed to evaluate the coating thickness and structure respectively. The ZrN coatings presented a preferential crystalline orientation following the [111] axis at all temperatures. RBS results showed an increase in coating thickness with the increase of temperature up to 400˚C due to reaction kinetic for the formation of Zr-N monomers. The decrease of thickness at 450˚C is probably due to the increase in coating density and decrease in grain size at this temperature.