Mg–Ti–spinel formation by interfacial solid-state reaction at the TiN/MgO interface

Mg–Ti–spinel formation has been observed by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy at the interface of TiN(100) films and MgO(100) substrates for films grown at substrate temperatures higher than 800 °C and for samples post-annealed at 850 °C. The TiN films were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering onto cleaved (100)-oriented MgO substrates. The spinel formed 5 nm epitaxial layers along the interface with occasional (111) wedges growing into the MgO. The orientational relationships were found to be TiN(100)|spinel(100)|MgO(100) and TiN[001]|spinel[001]|MgO[001]. The spinel composition is suggested to be Mg₂TiO₄.