Al-induced crystallization of amorphous ge and formation of fractal ge micro-/nanoclusters

Results on Al-induced crystallization of amorphous Ge (a-Ge) deposited by vacuum thermal evaporation techniques under thermal annealing in N(2) atmosphere are presented in detail. The a-Ge crystallization and fractal Ge pattern formation on the free surface of annealed Al/Ge bilayer films deposited on single-crystal Si (100) substrates were investigated by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), and Raman spectra. It is found that the temperature field effects play an extremely crucial role in a-Ge crystallization and fractal Ge formation process. The open branched structure of fractal Ge clusters in Al/Ge bilayer films was effectively prepared by Al-induced crystallization when they were annealed at 400 °C for 60 min. These films with fractal Ge clusters exhibit charming noninteger dimensional nanostructures, which differ from those of conventional integer dimensional materials such as one-dimensional nanowires/nanorods, nanotubes, nanobelts/nanoribbons, two-dimensional heterojunctions, thin films, and zero-dimensional nanoparticles. The SEM image shows that a big Al grain was found located near the center of a fractal Ge cluster after the films were annealed at 400 and 500 °C for 60 min. This suggests that the grain boundaries of polycrystalline Al films are the initial nucleation sites of a-Ge. It also validates the preferred nucleation theory of a-Ge at triple-point grain boundaries of polycrystalline Al at the interface. This discovery may be explained by the metal-induced nucleation (MIN) mechanism.     

50 keV H+ ion beam irradiation of Al doped ZnO thin films: Studies of radiation stability for device applications

Thin films of Al doped ZnO (Al:ZnO) were deposited on two substrates (Si and glass) at room temperature and 300°C using DC magnetron sputtering. These films were bombarded with 50 keV H⁺ beam at several fluences. The pristine and ion beam irradiated films were analysed by X‐ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and UV‐Vis spectroscopy. The X‐ray diffraction analysis, Hall measurements, Raman and UV‐Vis spectroscopy confirm that the structural and transport properties of Al:ZnO films do not change substantially with beam irradiation at chosen fluences. However, in comparison to film deposited at room temperature, the Al:ZnO thin film deposited at 300°C shows increased transmittance (from 70% to approximately 90%) with ion beam irradiation at highest fluence. The studies of surface morphology by scanning electron microscopy reveal that the ion irradiation yields smoothening of the films, which also increases with ion fluences. The films deposited at elevated temperature are smoother than those deposited at room temperature. In the paper, we discuss the interaction of 50 keV H⁺ ions with Al:ZnO films in terms of radiation stability in devices.     

Preparation and Studies of ZnO:Al Films and Powders

ZnO:Al (0–10 at% Al) films and powders were produced using acac-modified methoxy-ethoxide precursors, obtained from Zn(C₂H₅)₂ and Al₄(OPr ⁱ )₁₂. The conversion to oxide powders was monitored with TGA and DSC, and the phase development was investigated with XRD, FT-IR spectroscopy, and TEM-EDS. The gels obtained by air-hydrolysis contained ca 0.5 acac/(Zn + Al) and a small amount of water and hydroxyls. All residual groups were removed to yield ZnO:Al by heating to ca 400°C. The powders obtained at 400 and 500°C were elementally homogeneous, and consisted of hex-ZnO:Al as ca 3–5 (10 at% Al) or 20–30 (3 at% Al) nm sized crystalline particles. Spin-coating on quartz, Si/SiO₂, and window glass, followed by heating to 500°C resulted in 150–200 nm thick films of hex-ZnO:Al. 500 nm thick films were obtained by repeating the deposition and heat-treatment twice. The films were visually very clear and the measured transmittance high over the 400–800 nm range (91–93% at 800 nm) for ca 300 nm thick films.     

Thickness and temperature‐dependent study of Co/Si interface

Thin films of cobalt (10, 40, and 100 nm) are deposited on Si substrate by electron beam physical vapor deposition technique. After deposition, 4 pieces from each of the wafers of silicon substrate were cut and annealed at a temperature of 200°C, 300°C, and 400°C for 2 hours each, separately. X‐ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are used to study the structural and morphological characteristics of the deposited films. To obtain TEM images, Co films are deposited on Cu grids; so far, no such types of TEM images of Co films are reported. Structural studies confirm nanocrystalline nature with hexagonal close packed structure of the deposited Co film at lower thickness, while at higher thickness, film structure transforms to amorphous with lower surface roughness value. The particle sizes in all the cases are in the range of 3 to 5 nm. Micro‐Raman spectroscopy is also used to study the phase formation and chemical composition as a function of thickness and temperature. The results confirm that the grown films are of good quality and free from any impurity. Studies show the silicide formation at the interface during deposition. The appearance of new band at 1550 cm⁻¹ as a result of annealing indicates the structural transformation from CoSi to CoSi₂, which further enhances at higher annealing temperatures.     

Oxidation Behaviour of PACVD-(Ti,Al)N Wear Resistance Layers

 Sputtered (Ti,Al)N hard coatings are successfully used for dry high speed cutting. These films show a lower oxidation rate than TiN or TiC coatings. In our work (Ti,Al)N films were deposited on WC-6%Co substrates at a temperature of 490°C by plasma-assisted chemical vapour deposition (PACVD) using a gas mixture of TiCl₄/AlCl₃/N₂/Ar/H₂. Investigation of microstructure, crystalline structure and chemical composition was carried out using SEM, WDXS, TEM, AES and XRD techniques. The chemical composition of the deposited films showed a Al to Ti ratio of 1.33. The film thickness was 5.5 μm. Films showed a fine crystalline size, the metastable fcc crystal structure and a columnar growth. The film surface was under low compressive stress up to several 100 MPa. For (Ti,Al)N/WC-Co compounds the oxidation behaviour up to 1100°C (high temperature range) was studied. Therefore, samples were annealed or rapidly heated in air and under high vacuum condition using the laser shock method. The results show decomposition of the (Ti,Al)N structure to the TiN and the AlN phases at temperature values above 900°C. Heating in air causes growing of a thin aluminum oxide layer at the film surface, which is a barrier for further oxygen diffusion to the alumina-film boundary. Additionally, at temperatures above 900°C oxidation of the WC-6%Co substrate surface was obtained in regions of opened cracks and film delamination.     

Aging of Fe−Al thin film multilayers

Multilayers constituted by very thin films of Fe and Al, deposited by thermal evaporation and magnetron sputtering techniques and then aged in air at temperatures in the 300–400 K range for times up to 200 h, were analyzed by means of XRD, CEMS, XPS and AES measurements. Fe(Al) solid solutions form during evaporation because of interdiffusion phenomena at the Fe–Al interfaces, while Al undergoes oxidation during sputtering deposition and, consequently, the multilayers are constituted by Fe intercalated with Al₂O₃ films. Aging treatments in oxidizing environments induce no significant modification in sputtered multilayers while, on the contrary, the evaporated multilayers show the effects of both interdiffusion and oxidation phenomena.     

Atomic layer deposition of tungsten(III) oxide thin films from W2(NMe2)6 and water: precursor-based control of oxidation state in the thin film material

The atomic layer deposition of W2O3 films was demonstrated employing W2(NMe2)6 and water as precursors with substrate temperatures between 140 and 240 degrees C. At 180 degrees C, surface saturative growth was achieved with W2(NMe2)6 vapor pulse lengths of >/=2 s. The growth rate was about 1.4 A/cycle at substrate temperatures between 140 and 200 degrees C. Growth rates of 1.60 and 2.10 A/cycle were observed at 220 and 240 degrees C, respectively. In a series of films deposited at 180 degrees C, the film thicknesses varied linearly with the number of deposition cycles. Time-of-flight elastic recoil analyses demonstrated stoichiometric W2O3 films, with carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen levels between 6.3 and 8.6, 11.9 and 14.2, and 4.6 and 5.0 at. %, respectively, at substrate temperatures of 160, 180, and 200 degrees C. The as-deposited films were amorphous. Atomic force microscopy showed root-mean-square surface roughnesses of 0.7 and 0.9 nm for films deposited at 180 and 200 degrees C, respectively. The resistivity of a film grown at 180 degrees C was 8500 microhm cm.     

掺硼p型非晶硅薄膜的制备及光学性能的表征

以高氢稀释的硅烷(SiH₄ )为反应气体,硼烷(B₂H₆)为掺杂气体,利用RF-PECVD方法,在玻璃衬底上制备出掺硼的氢化非晶硅(a-Si:H)薄膜,研究了硼掺杂量对氢化非晶硅(a-Si:H)薄膜的光学性能的影响.利用NKD-7000 W光学薄膜分析系统测试薄膜的透射谱和反射谱,并利用该系统的软件拟合得出薄膜的折射率、消光系数、吸收系数等光学性能参数,利用Tauc法计算掺硼的非晶硅薄膜的光学带隙.实验结果表明,随着硼掺杂量的增加,掺杂非晶硅薄膜样品在同一波长处的折射率先增大后减小,而且每一样品均随着入射光波长的增加而减小,在波长500 nm处的折射率均达到4.3以上;薄膜的消光系数和吸收系数随着硼掺杂量的增大而增大,在500 nm处的吸收系数可高达1.5×10⁵cm^-1.在实验的硼掺杂范围内,光学带隙从1.81 eV变化到1.71 eV.     

Characterisation and properties of magnetron sputtered nanoscale bi‐layered Ni/Ti thin films and effect of annealing

Single‐bi‐layer of Ni–Ti thin film was deposited using DC and RF magnetron sputtering technique by layer‐wise deposition of Ni and Ti on Si(100) substrate in the order of Ni as the bottom layer and Ti as the top layer. The deposition of these amorphous as‐deposited thin films was followed by annealing at 300 °C, 400 °C, 500 °C, and 600 °C temperature with 1‐h annealing time for each to achieve crystalline thin films. This paper describes the fabrication processes and the novel characterization techniques of the as‐deposited as well as the annealed thin films. Microstructures were analysed using FESEM and HRTEM. Nano‐indentation and AFM were carried out to characterize the mechanical properties and surface profiles of the films. It was found that, for the annealing temperatures of 300 °C to 600 °C, the increase in annealing temperature resulted in gradual increase in atomic‐cluster coarsening with improved ad‐atom mobility. Phase analyses, performed by GIXRD, showed the development of silicide phases and intermetallic compounds. Cross‐sectional micrographs exhibited the inter‐diffusion between the two‐layer constituents, especially at higher temperatures, which resulted either in amorphization or in crystallization after annealing at temperatures above 400 °C. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of thin dense titania films via an aqueous solution-gel method

Nanostructured titanium dioxide films have been reported to be used in many applications ranging from optics and solar energy devices to gas sensors. This work describes the synthesis of nanocrystalline titania films via an aqueous solution-gel method. The thin films are deposited by spin coating an aqueous citratoperoxo-Ti(IV)-precursor solution onto a silicon substrate. The influence of processing parameters like Ti⁴⁺ concentration and crystallization temperature on the phase formation, crystallite size and surface morphology of the films is studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Furthermore, the effect of successive layer deposition on the film thickness of the resulting films is studied by means of cross sectional SEM. SEM and TEM micrographs clearly show that, after optimization of the process parameters, thin, smooth, dense nanocrystalline films are synthesized in a reproducible manner. The films are composed of 15–20 nm grains. At higher crystallization temperatures (600, 650°C) also larger particles (40–70 nm) are present. XRD data reveal that a phase pure anatase film is formed at 450°C. Crystallization temperatures equal to or higher than 600 °C however give rise to the formation of both the anatase and rutile crystalline phases. The smoothness of the films is proved by their very low rms surface roughness (≤1.1 nm) measured by AFM.     

Interaction of Al2O3 and CeO2 surfaces with SO2 and SO2 + O2 studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

The interaction of Al2O3 and CeO2 thin films with sulfur dioxide (2.5 mbar) or with mixtures of SO2 with O2 (5 mbar) at various temperatures (30-400 degrees C) was studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The analysis of temperature-induced transformations of S2p spectra allowed us to identify sulfite and sulfate species and determine the conditions of their formation on the oxide surfaces. Sulfite ions, SO3(2-), which are characterized by the S2p(3/2) binding energy (BE) of approximately 167.5 eV, were shown to be formed during the interaction of the oxide films with pure SO2 at temperatures < or =200 degrees C, whereas sulfate ions, SO4(2-), with BE (S2p(3/2)) approximately 169 eV were produced at temperatures > or =300 degrees C. The formation of both the sulfite and sulfate species proceeds more efficiently in the case of CeO2. The addition of oxygen to SO2 suppresses the formation of the sulfite species on both oxides and facilitates the formation of the sulfate species. Again, this enhancement is more significant for the CeO2 film than for the Al2O3 one. The sulfation of the CeO2 film is accompanied by a reduction of Ce(IV) ions to Ce(III) ones, both in the absence and in the presence of oxygen. It has been concluded that the amount of the sulfates on the CeO2 surface treated with the SO2 + O2 mixture at > or =300 degrees C corresponds to the formation of a 3D phase of the Ce(III) sulfate. The sulfation of Al2O3 is limited by the surface of the oxide film.     

Determination of the cubic to hexagonal structure transition in the metastable system TiN-AlN

Structural transitions of metastable Ti_1–xAl_xN coatings on technically relevant substrates were determined as a function of the Ti/Al ratio. Ti_1–xAl_xN films with different Ti/Al ratios were deposited on high speed steel (HSS) substrates at substrate temperatures of 300?° and 500?°C by means of reactive magnetron sputtering ion plating (MSIP). A Ti/Al compound target was used as well as a cluster arrangement of one Ti and one Al target for comparison. The composition of the films was determined by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), the crystallographic structure by thin film X-ray diffraction (XRD). The analyses revealed that films deposited with Ti/Al ratios of 44/56 and 36/64 had grown in cubic NaCl structure, a film with a Ti/Al ratio of 32/68 was two-phase, and a Ti/Al ratio of 25/75 led to a hexagonal film in wurtzite structure. Only small differences of the lattice parameters could be observed in dependence of temperature: At 300?°C the lattice parameters of the cubic structure corresponded exactly to Vegard‘s law, whereas they slightly decreased in the films deposited at 500?°C. The application of a cluster arrangement instead of a compound target resulted in nearly the same lattice parameters and peak shapes.     

Thermal decomposition of generation-4 polyamidoamine dendrimer films: decomposition catalyzed by dendrimer-encapsulated Pt particles

The thermal decomposition of hydroxyl-terminated generation-4 polyamidoamine dendrimer (G4OH) films deposited on Au surfaces has been compared with decomposition of the same dendrimer encapsulating an approximately 40-atom Pt particle (Pt-G4OH). Infrared absorption reflection spectroscopy studies showed that, when the films were heated in air to various temperatures up to 275 degrees C, the disappearance of the amide vibrational modes occurred at lower temperature for the Pt-G4OH film. Dendrimer decomposition was also investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) in both air and argon atmospheres. For the G4OH dendrimer, complete decomposition was achieved in air at 500 degrees C, while decomposition of the Pt-G4OH dendrimer was completed at 400 degrees C, leaving only platinum metal behind. In a nonoxidizing argon atmosphere, a greater fraction of the G4OH decomposed below 300 degrees C, but all of the dendrimer fragments were not removed until heating above 550 degrees C. In contrast, Pt-G4OH decomposition in argon was similar to that in air, except that decomposition occurred at temperatures approximately 15 degrees C higher. Thermal decomposition of the dendrimer films on Au surfaces was also studied by temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. Heating the G4OH films to 250 degrees C during the TPD experiment induced the desorption of large dendrimer fragments at 55, 72, 84, 97, 127, 146, and 261 amu. For the Pt-G4OH films, mass fragments above 98 amu were not observed at any temperature, but much greater intensities for H(2) desorption were detected compared to that of the G4OH film. XPS studies of the G4OH films demonstrated that significant bond breaking in the dendrimer did not occur until temperatures above 250 degrees C and heating to 450 degrees C caused dissociation of C=O, C-O, and C-N bonds. For the Pt-G4OH dendrimer films, carbon-oxygen and carbon-nitrogen bond scission was observed at room temperature, and further decomposition to atomic species occurred after heating to 450 degrees C. All of these results are consistent with the fact that the Pt particles inside the G4OH dendrimer catalyze thermal decomposition, allowing dendrimer decomposition to occur at lower temperatures. However, the Pt particles also catalyze bond scission within the dendrimer fragments so that decomposition of the dendrimer to gaseous hydrogen is the dominant reaction pathway compared to desorption of the larger dendrimer fragments observed in the absence of Pt particles.     

Structure and dielectric properties of HfO<Subscript>2</Subscript> films prepared by a sol–gel route

Mono- and multilayer HfO₂ sol–gel thin films have been deposited on silicon wafers by dip-coating technique using a solution based on hafnium ethoxide as precursor. The densification/crystallization process was achieved by classical annealing between 400 and 600 °C for 0.5 h (after drying at 100 °C). Systematic TEM studies were performed to observe the evolution of the thin film structure depending on the annealing temperature. The overall density of the films was determined from RBS spectrometry correlated with cross section (XTEM) thickness measurements. After annealing at 450 °C the films are amorphous with a nanoporous structure showing also some incipient crystallization. After annealing at 550 °C the films are totally crystallized. The HfO₂ grains grow in colonies having the same crystalline orientation with respect to the film plane, including faceted nanopores. During annealing a nanometric SiO₂ layer is formed at the interface with the silicon substrate; the thickness of this layer increases with the annealing temperature. Capacitive measurements allowed determining the value of the dielectric constant as 25 for four layer films, i.e. very close to the value for the bulk material.     

Adsorption state and morphology of anthraquinone-2-carboxylic acid deposited from solution onto the atomically-smooth native oxide surface of Al(111) films studied by infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy.

The adsorption state and morphology of anthraquinone-2-carboxylic acid (AQ-2-COOH) deposited from acetone solutions (0.02 - 1.00 mg ml(-1)) onto atomically-smooth native oxide surfaces of Al(111) films were investigated by infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The atomically-smooth oxide surfaces were prepared by vacuum evaporation of Al on mica substrates at 350 degrees C, followed by oxidation in an oxygen-dc glow discharge at room temperature. It was found that AQ-2-COOH is adsorbed on the film surfaces in both the neutral and ionized state, where the amount of the neutral molecules increases with increasing concentration. This molecule is adsorbed as both a uniform nanometer-scale film, and as micrometer-sized particles with heights ranging from 10 to 200 nm above the film surface. The volumes of the particles of deposited AQ-2-COOH increased with increasing concentration. It is concluded that the particles are microcrystallites of neutral AQ-2-COOH and that the thin uniform film results from AQ-2-COOH anion formation on the film surfaces. A comparison of the results obtained by use of these surface analytical techniques clearly shows the features and advantages of these tools.     

The structure and tribological properties of aluminum/carbon nanocomposite thin films synthesized by reactive magnetron sputtering

Hydrogenated nanocomposite aluminum/carbon thin films (Al/a‐C:H) were fabricated on stainless steel and silicon wafer substrates via unbalanced reactive magnetron sputtering from an Al target in CH₄/Ar plasma. The composition and structure of Al/a‐C:H films were investigated by high‐resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), XPS and micro‐Raman spectroscopy. Nanoindenter, interferometer and ball‐on‐disc tribometer were carried out to evaluate the hardness, internal stress and tribological properties of Al/a‐C:H films. HRTEM observations confirmed that the metallic Al nanocrystallites were uniformly dispersed in the amorphous carbon matrix. XPS and Raman analyses indicated that the sp² content increased with the increase of Al content in the films. Nanoindenter and interferometer tests exhibited that the uniform incorporation of Al nanocrystallites can diminish drastically the magnitude of internal stress with maintaining the higher hardness of as‐deposited films. Especially, the ball‐on‐disc tribometer measurements revealed that the nanocomposite film with 2.3 at.% Al content exhibited relatively better wear resistance and self‐lubrication performance with a friction coefficient of 0.06 and wear rate of 3.1 × 10^?16 m³/ N·m under ambient air, which can be attributed to the relatively higher hardness, the formation of continuous graphitized transfer film on counterface and the reduced reaction of oxygen with carbon. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation of novel saw-toothed and riblike alpha-Si3N4 whiskers

alpha-Si(3)N(4) whiskers with novel saw-toothed and riblike structures have been synthesized in a high yield by a carbothermal reduction and nitridation route. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and selected-area electron diffraction (SAED). The results show that the saw-toothed whiskers with one smooth surface and another toothlike surface have lengths about several tens of microns and widths in the range of 600-1200 nm. The riblike whiskers are composed of Si(3)N(4) rod-arrays, which grow closely packed perpendicular to the central axial whiskers with uniform diameter and length. The growth mechanism of the products can be considered as a combination of VS mechanism and secondary epitaxial nucleation process. The photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of the whiskers shows a strong blue light emission peak at 406 nm and a weak peak at 485 nm, suggesting their potential applications in light and electron emission devices.     

Preparation and characterization of transparent conducting ZnS:Al films

Al-doped ZnS films were deposited using close-spaced evaporation of the powders synthesized by chemical precipitation method. The films were prepared for different Al concentrations in the range 0–10 at.% on glass substrates kept at 300 °C. The effect of Al-doping on ZnS composition, microstructure and optoelectronic properties of as-grown ZnS layers was determined using appropriate techniques. The films were polycrystalline and showed (111) preferred orientation for all the doping concentrations in spite of an additional phase of Al₂S₃ observed at higher dopant levels. The surface morphological studies indicated that the Al incorporation had a considerable effect on the surface roughness of the films. The optical measurements indicated that the optical energy band gap decreased slightly with the increase of dopant concentration without affecting the optical transmittance characteristics significantly. The electrical analysis indicated that the resistivity of the layers changed significantly with the doping concentration in the layers. The change of photoluminescence behaviour of the as-grown ZnS:Al films with dopant concentration was also studied.     

宽带隙Cu(In,Al)Se2薄膜的制备及表征

以特殊脉冲电沉积方法制备CuInSe2(CIS)前驱体薄膜, 通过真空蒸镀法在CIS薄膜上沉积Al膜, 经硒化退火后在氧化铟锡(ITO)基底上制备了Cu(InAl)Se2(CIAS)薄膜. 采用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X射线能谱(EDS)、X射线衍射(XRD)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、紫外-可见吸收光谱(UV-Vis)对其形貌、结构、成分及光学吸收性质进行了表征. 结果表明, 制备的CIAS薄膜颗粒均匀, 表面平整致密, 呈黄铜矿结构. 薄膜在可见光区具有良好的吸收, 带隙约为1.65 eV.     

Formation of niobium nitride by rapid thermal processing

The formation of group V transition metal nitride films by means of rapid thermal processing (RTP) has been investigated. Here we focus on the nitridation of niobium films of 200-500 nm thickness in the temperature range from 500 to 1,100 degrees C under laminar flow of molecular nitrogen or ammonia. The nitride phases formed were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Secondary neutral mass spectrometry (SNMS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in combination with electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) were carried out on samples of selected experiments to provide more detailed information about the initial stages of nitride formation and the microstructure of the films. A classical formation sequence of nitride phases was observed with increasing nitrogen content in the order: alpha-Nb(N) --> beta-Nb2N --> gamma-Nb4N3 --> delta'-NbN --> Nb5N6. Furthermore, oxide enriched regions were discovered inside the metal films. These turned out to be formed mainly in the nitride sequence between the a-alphaNb(N) and beta-Nb2N-phases at the Nb/SiO2 interface due to a reaction of the Nb with the SiO2 layer of the silicon substrates on which the films had been deposited. The SiO2 layer acts as diffusion barrier for nitrogen but also as source for oxygen, according to SNMS and TEM/EELS studies, resulting in the formation of Nb-oxides and/or oxynitrides at the Nb/SiO2 interface.