Low compressive TiNx, materials and methods of making the same

1 . A method, comprising:

providing a substrate; and

depositing a TiN x O y layer on the substrate using reactive sputtering, wherein the reactive sputtering comprises a sputtering power of 1200 watts or lower, a temperature of 450° C. or lower, and a ratio of a flow rate of argon gas and nitrogen gas of 2:1 or higher.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sputtering power is 1000 watts or lower.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sputtering power is 700 watts or lower.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature is 400° C. or lower.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the flow rate of argon gas to the flow rate of nitrogen gas is 4:1 or higher.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the flow rate of argon gas to the flow rate of nitrogen gas is 7:1 or higher.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the TiN x is deposited using a DC magnetron sputtering.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the DC magnetron sputtering is performed in the absence of a radio-frequency power.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

depositing first and second sacrificial layers on the substrate;

forming a deformable hinge on one of the two sacrificial layers;

forming a reflective mirror plate on the other one of the two sacrificial layers;

wherein the deformable hinge or the mirror plate comprises the TiN x layer; and

releasing the reflective mirror plate by removing the sacrificial layers.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the deformable hinge comprises the TiN x layer.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the mirror plate comprises the TiN x layer.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein both of the mirror plate and deformable hinge comprise the TiN x layer.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the substrate is transmissive to visible light; and wherein the mirror plate is formed prior to forming the deformable hinge.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the substrate is a semiconductor substrate having an addressing electrode formed thereon; and wherein the mirror plate is formed after forming the deformable hinge.

15 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the first sacrificial layer is deposited on the substrate; the mirror plate is formed on the first sacrificial layer; and the second sacrificial layer is deposited between the deformable hinge.

16 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the sacrificial layers are removed with a spontaneous vapor phase chemical etchant.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the chemical etchant comprises interhalogen.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the chemical etchant comprises noble gas halide.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the noble gas halide is xenon difluoride.

20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein oxygen is absent from the TiN x material.

21 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the TiN x has oxygen in an amount greater than 0 (zero) but less than 15%.

22 . A method, comprising:

forming a TiN x material using reactive sputtering, wherein the reactive sputtering comprises a sputtering power of 1200 watts or lower.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the reactive sputtering is DC magnetron sputtering.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the DC magnetron sputtering is performed in the absence of a Radio Frequency power.

25 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the sputtering temperature is 450° C. or lower.

26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the temperature is 400° C. or lower.

27 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the temperature is 300° C. or lower.

28 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the TiN x is deposited in a chamber through which an argon and nitrogen gas are flowing through, wherein a ratio of a flow rate of the argon gas and a flow rate of nitrogen gas is 2:1 or higher.

29 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the ratio of a flow rate of the argon gas and a flow rate of nitrogen gas is 4:1 or higher.

30 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the ratio of a flow rate of the argon gas and a flow rate of nitrogen gas is 7:1 or higher.

31 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the TiN x is deposited at rate of 30 angstroms per second or less.

32 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the TiN x is deposited at rate of 10 angstroms per second or less.

33 . The method of claim 32 , wherein the TiN x is deposited at rate of 4 angstroms per second or less.

34 . The method of claim 22 , wherein oxygen is absent from the TiN x material.

35 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the TiN x has oxygen in an amount greater than 0 (zero) but less than 15%.

36 . A method, comprising:

forming a TiN x material using reactive sputtering, wherein the reactive sputtering comprises depositing a TiN x material in a chamber where the temperature within the chamber is 450° C. or lower.

37 . The method of claim 36 , wherein the reactive sputtering comprises a sputtering power of 1200 watts or lower.

38 . The method of claim 36 , wherein the reactive sputtering comprises a sputtering power of 1000 watts or lower.

39 . The method of claim 36 , wherein the reactive sputtering comprises a sputtering power of 700 watts or lower.

40 . The method of claim 36 , wherein the reactive sputtering is DC magnetron sputtering.

41 . The method of claim 40 , wherein the DC magnetron sputtering is performed in the absence of a Radio Frequency power.

42 . The method of claim 36 , wherein the temperature is 400° C. or lower.

43 . The method of claim 42 , wherein the temperature is 300° C. or lower.

44 . The method of claim 36 , wherein the TiN x is deposited in a chamber through which an argon and nitrogen gas are flowing through, wherein a ratio of a flow rate of the argon gas and a flow rate of nitrogen gas is 2:1 or higher.

45 . The method of claim 44 , wherein the ratio of a flow rate of the argon gas and a flow rate of nitrogen gas is 4:1 or higher.

46 . The method of claim 44 , wherein the ratio of a flow rate of the argon gas and a flow rate of nitrogen gas is 7:1 or higher.

47 . The method of claim 36 , wherein the TiN x is deposited at rate of 30 angstroms per second or less.

48 . The method of claim 36 , wherein the TiN x is deposited at rate of 10 angstroms per second or less.

49 . The method of claim 36 , wherein the TiN x is deposited at rate of 4 angstroms per second or less.

50 . The method of claim 36 , wherein oxygen is absent from the TiN x material.

51 . The method of claim 36 , wherein the TiN x has oxygen in an amount greater than 0 (zero) but less than 15%.

51 . A method, comprising:

forming a TiN x material by reactive sputtering, wherein the reactive sputtering comprises sputtering a titanium target in a chamber in an atmosphere of nitrogen and argon, wherein a ratio of argon to nitrogen in the camber is 2:1 or higher.

52 . The method of claim 51 , wherein the deposition is performed at a temperature of 450° C. or lower.

53 . The method of claim 51 , wherein the reactive sputtering comprises a sputtering power of 1200 watts or lower.

54 . The method of claim 51 , wherein the reactive sputtering comprises a sputtering power of 1000 watts or lower.

55 . The method of claim 51 , wherein the reactive sputtering comprises a sputtering power of 700 watts or lower.

56 . The method of claim 51 , wherein the reactive sputtering is DC magnetron sputtering.

57 . The method of claim 56 , wherein the DC magnetron sputtering is performed in the absence of a Radio Frequency power.

58 . The method of claim 51 , wherein the temperature is 400° C. or lower.

59 . The method of claim 58 , wherein the temperature is 300° C. or lower.

60 . The method of claim 51 , wherein the TiN x is deposited in a chamber through which an argon and nitrogen gas are flowing through, wherein a ratio of a flow rate of the argon gas and a flow rate of nitrogen gas is 4:1 or higher.

61 . The method of claim 60 , wherein the ratio of a flow rate of the argon gas and a flow rate of nitrogen gas is 7:1 or higher.

62 . The method of claim 51 , wherein the TiN x is deposited at rate of 30 angstroms per second or less.

63 . The method of claim 51 , wherein the TiN x is deposited at rate of 10 angstroms per second or less.

64 . The method of claim 51 , wherein the TiN x is deposited at rate of 4 angstroms per second or less.

65 . The method of claim 51 , wherein oxygen is absent from the TiN x material.

66 . The method of claim 51 , wherein the TiN x has oxygen in an amount greater than 0 (zero) but less than 15%.

67 . A method, comprising:

forming a TiN x material using reactive sputtering, wherein the reactive sputtering comprises depositing a TiN x material at a deposition rate of 30 angstroms per second or lower.

68 . The method of claim 67 , wherein oxygen is absent from the TiN x material.

69 . The method of claim 67 , wherein the TiN x has oxygen in an amount greater than 0 (zero) but less than 15%.

70 . The method of claim 67 , wherein the reactive sputtering comprises sputtering a titanium target in a chamber in an atmosphere of nitrogen and argon, wherein a ratio of argon to nitrogen in the camber is 2:1 or higher.

71 . The method of claim 67 , wherein the deposition is performed at a temperature of 450° C. or lower.

72 . The method of claim 67 , wherein the reactive sputtering comprises a sputtering power of 1200 watts or lower.

73 . The method of claim 67 , wherein the reactive sputtering comprises a sputtering power of 1000 watts or lower.

74 . The method of claim 67 , wherein the reactive sputtering comprises a sputtering power of 700 watts or lower.

75 . The method of claim 67 , wherein the reactive sputtering is DC magnetron sputtering.

76 . The method of claim 75 , wherein the DC magnetron sputtering is performed in the absence of a Radio Frequency power.

77 . The method of claim 67 , wherein the temperature is 400° C. or lower.

78 . The method of claim 77 , wherein the temperature is 300° C. or lower.

79 . The method of claim 67 , wherein the TiN x is deposited in a chamber through which an argon and nitrogen gas are flowing through, wherein a ratio of a flow rate of the argon gas and a flow rate of nitrogen gas is 4:1 or higher.

80 . The method of claim 79 , wherein the ratio of a flow rate of the argon gas and a flow rate of nitrogen gas is 7:1 or higher.

81 . The method of claim 67 , wherein the TiN x is deposited at rate of 30 angstroms per second or less.

82 . The method of claim 81 , wherein the TiN x is deposited at rate of 10 angstroms per second or less.

83 . The method of claim 82 , wherein the TiN x is deposited at rate of 4 angstroms per second or less.