Preparation of Cr(Nx,Oy) thin films by pulsed laser deposition

Abstract Chromium oxynitride [Cr(Nx,Oy)] thin films have been prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The thin films were prepared by depositing chromium metal vapor in a nitrogen ambient gas with residual oxygen. By composition analysis using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, it was found that the thin films contained approximately ∼46 at.% oxygen. In the Fourier transform infrared spectra, the peak originating from the CrN bond was found, and no peak originating from the CrO bond of the Cr2O3 phase was observed. X-ray diffraction results indicated that the thin film was in a B1 (NaCl) structure. From these results, it has been concluded that the Cr(Nx,Oy) thin film, which structurally resembles CrN where nitrogen atoms were partially substituted by oxygen, has been successfully produced. It was also found that the CrN phase maintains a B1 structure, even if 46 at.% oxygen is dissolved into the structure. By decreasing nitrogen pressure, the preferential orientation of the thin films changes from [200] to [111].