Nanocolumnar TiN thin film growth by oblique angle sputter-deposition: Experiments vs. simulations

Nanostructured columnar titanium nitride (TiN) thin films were produced by oblique angle deposition using reactive magnetron sputtering. The influence of the angular distribution of the incoming particle flux on the resulting film morphology (column tilt angle, porosity, surface roughness) was studied by varying the inclination angle α of the substrate at two different working pressures, 0.3 and 0.5 Pa. The microstructural features and columns tilt angles βexp determined experimentally were compared to those simulated from two kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) models. With increasing pressure, the TiN columns were found to be less defined but no significant changes in βexp were revealed. Both KMC models satisfactorily reproduced the experimental findings, the agreement being closer at 0.5 Pa. The evolution of β angle is also discussed with respect to the resulting incidence angle θres of the incoming flux, this latter quantity accounting for the local incidence angle of individual particles, which may greatly differ from the geometrical angle α, especially at high working pressure due to the incoming particle – gas collisions. Crossover phenomena between the 0.3 and 0.5 Pa series were revealed from the evolution of the film resistivity, as well as simulated layer density and surface roughness versus α angle. •Understanding of column development is achieved for TiN films by combining thin film deposition and computational modelling at different pressures•The particle flux angular distribution reaching the substrate is the key parameter dictating growth morphology and column tilt angle β•TiN columns appear less tilted with increasing pressure for substrate tilt angles α ≥ 35°•Saturation of column tilt angle β around 25–30° is observed for α ≥ 65° due to the broadening of the angular distribution•Crossover phenomena of the layer density, surface roughness and resistivity versus angle α are revealed between 0.3 and 0.5 Pa [Display omitted]