Release Time:2019-03-11  Hits:

Indexed by: Journal Article

Date of Publication: 2017-11-01

Journal: ACTA METALLURGICA SINICA-ENGLISH LETTERS

Included Journals: EI、SCIE

Volume: 30

Issue: 11

Page Number: 1100-1108

ISSN: 1006-7191

Key Words: ZrNx films; Nitrogen vacancy; Hardness; Electrical properties; Band structure

Abstract: To study the influence of the nitrogen vacancy (V-N) on mechanical and electrical properties of zirconium nitride deeply, ZrNx films with different V-N concentrations were synthesized on the Si (111) substrates by enhanced magnetic filtering arc ion plating. The morphologies, microstructures, residual stresses, compositions, chemical states, mechanical and electrical properties of the as-deposited films were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectrometry, Nanoindenter and Hall effect measurements. The results showed that ZrNx films exhibited rocksalt single-phase structure within a V-N concentration ranging from 26 to 5%. The preferred orientation, thickness, grain size and residual stress of the ZrNx films kept constant at different V-N concentrations. Both the nanohardness and elastic modulus first increased and then decreased with the decrease in V-N concentration, reaching the peaks around 16%. And the electric conductivity of the ZrNx films showed a similar tendency with nanohardness. The underlying atomic-scale mechanisms of V-N concentration-dependent hardness and electric conductivity enhancements were discussed and attributed to the different electronic band structures, rather than conventional meso-scale factors, such as preferred orientation, grain size and residual stress.