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Sputtered ZrN comes out blue instead of gold

I am doing research on ZrN coatings by sputtering Zr in an Argon -Nitrogen atmosphere. I am always ending up getting a blue colour instead of the bright yellow typical of ZrN. How do I avoid this blue colour?

Jyoti Shrivastava
Research lab - Pune, Maharashtra, INDIA
2003

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First of two simultaneous responses --

The blue comes from oxygen contamination, significant oxygen contamination. You must have a very big vacuum leak in your chamber or your pumping system is grossly inadequate.

Jim Treglio - scwineryreview.com
PVD Consultant & Wine Lover - San Diego,
California
2003

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Second of two simultaneous responses --

Try to run without the Nitrogen and see if you still getting the Blue, if not - try very low Flow of Nitrogen.

Miralem Cajic
- Atlanta , Georgia
2003

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Whenever I have seen a blue thin film it is usually because some oxygen is getting into the system somehow.

John Davis
- Berthoud, Colorado, USA
2003

I Thank All for the response. I feel that there is no oxygen contamination in the system. Apart from this, will Bias voltage, temperature etc. cause this blue colour?

Jyoti Shrivastava
- Pune, Maharashtra, India
2003

To receive blue coatings from oxide layers it is possible, but their color very much depends on thickness. It is interferential coatings. The saturated blue color can be received from nitride of titanium with large contents of nitrogen.

Beregovsky Vladimir V.
- Moscow, Russia
2003

Yes heat, pumping time ( base pressure reached before starting a process ) cleanliness ( residual contaminants ), substrate material, and biasing, can all have an affect of your end results. If you are sure you do not have a leak in your chamber I would verify that you do not have a leak in your gas system upstream of the isolation valves. They do not typically show up during a leak test. A contaminated cylinder of gas is also a possibility, but unlikely if proper procedures in handling them has been followed. A porous substrate material that is not allowed to outgas before a process is started will, outgas more as the temperature rises from the heat of the coating plasma.

Dan L Mitchell
- Luzerne, Michigan
2003