A multi-element multi-edge multi detection-mode X-ray photo-absorption study was made of a series of Al/TiN/Si(100) thin films in which the TiNx film thickness ranged from 10 to 50nm and the annealing temperature was between 400 and 600C. The Si K-and L-edge results showed that Si did not diffuse to the surface. The high-resolution Ti L-edge and N K-edge spectra showed that the TiNx layer underwent a marked chemical reaction upon gradually increasing the annealing temperature. This chemical reaction stabilized at 560C, where TiNx films were known to fail to act as an effective diffusion barrier between Al and Si.

A Study of Titanium Nitride Diffusion Barriers between Aluminium and Silicon by X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy - the Si, Ti and N Results. Y.F.Liu, T.K.Sham, Z.Zou, G.Q.Xu, L.Chan, B.W.Yates, G.M.Bancroft: Journal of Synchrotron Radiation, 2001, 8[2], 860-2